


Undoing the Past

by LadyLanera



Series: Undoing Universe [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 19:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 96,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1481665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLanera/pseuds/LadyLanera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of suffering from the mistakes of his dark past, Severus decides to throw a wrench into the system and make it better for all of them in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Come Undone

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters in this fic are owned by J.K. Rowling.

Situated near Manchester, the blue-collar town of Cokeworth had grown as dark as the river that ran through it. Unfortunately, with the closing of the mill nearly two decades ago, Cokeworth had fallen into a state of disarray, unable to bring itself back to its glory. Everywhere one looked, one would see the suffering and desperation. Fathers and mothers would go off to work long hours at one of the few places still there, only to find themselves at the end of the week still barely making ends meet. Unless one had turned to the illegal route that was, which was the case for so many families in Cokeworth. Crime paid was the old adage that all the inhabitants knew, no matter their age.

Rundown and abandoned brick houses lined the majority of the broken cobblestone streets, giving the area a sort of somber feel. Had one not known about the mill, one would swear that the town had been the sight of a devastating natural disaster or even been described as where a powerful bomb had gone off. Most of the houses had broken windows now, and some even had doors missing from where desperate people ransacked a neighbor's house.

Every street was the same. Filled with brick houses, all connected to each other. There were no yards. No white picket fences. Visually speaking, nothing about Cokeworth conveyed happiness. It only showed desperation and heartbreak. Something the town had in common with its people.

On the very end of one of these broken cobblestone streets—Spinner's End if one must know—resided a row house that was the only one that had a light on inside. A window was cracked open, but its curtains were of course closed to keep out prying neighbors.

Children ran past the row house, laughing as they played in the street under the street lamps that barely provided any light whatsoever. Several of them would pause every now and then to catch their breath and glance at this house to look at the light left on. However, they'd quickly turn away and run off. Their parents had warned them about that house. They all knew the tragic story of the grumpy man who resided there. About how he had lost his family. Not a single child could recall ever seeing the man, but they all knew enough not to venture near it ever. The man had a dark reputation. One boy stared at the light longer than his peers and watched it go out. He whispered a soft goodnight and returned home.

* * *

The following evening, the light turned on like clockwork at precisely eight o'clock as it had done for months now. A shadow passed the window curtain as a gaunt man headed towards a beautiful mahogany desk. His lifeless black eyes stared at the scattered papers he had written his notes on before he glanced at the opened journal that rested off to the side of his notes next to a framed Order of Merlin, first class. His long pale bony fingers soon trailed over the journal's elegant cursive in a loving tender way, a silver wedding band reflecting in the soft light.

"See you didn't eat again, Severus," grunted a blue-eyed man who had walked into the room.

"I'm busy," Severus offhandedly replied, sitting down at the desk.

"Ain't possible one's that busy, son."

"I am." Severus grabbed a quill and dipped it into the inkwell then. He quickly continued to write his notes soon after, his eyes glancing to read the elegant cursive from the journal now and then.

"Yer mum's been asking about you. She's worried."

"Mother's always worried." His quill continued to scratch against the parchment.

"That may be, but she ain't the only one." His father sighed softly. "Shit, son, you can't just stop living yer life now." His father's blue eyes softened slightly when he noticed Severus pause in his writing for half a second. "She wouldn't want you to live like this, and you know it." The tip of the quill suddenly broke from the force Severus had pressed down with onto the parchment.

"Don't," he croaked, drawing in a shaky breath. With a wave of his wand after moments of silence, the quill's tip was once again sharp, and Severus continued writing the rest of his notes.

"You know I'm right, son," his father quietly said a few minutes later.

"It's not about whether you're right or not, Dad."

"Then, what's it about?"

Severus paused once more before he glanced up at his dad, his quill lowering. A part of him wanted to continue to finish her work as he had been doing the past year. Another part knew he had to tell his dad, just so the man would understand. He gently picked the journal up and held it out.

"This was hers, Dad. Every night she would work on her theory. Sit at this very table until she'd later join me. She worked on this every single night. No matter if she was sick, injured, or otherwise occupied. She never deviated from that pattern. Never took a night off. Not even the night of the Final Battle. She'd tell me every now and then about what she was researching. Let me in on any breakthroughs she had."

"And you kept it going, working on it for her after her . . ." his father's voice trailed off.

"Yes." Severus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She was close."

"You understand that mumbo jumbo stuff she's got in there that well?"

"Not all of it, but most. She talked me through some of this, and the rest her notes helped with." His eyes darted down to the journal. He stared at it for minutes before he drew in a slow breath. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"From what I can tell, her theory's correct. It's possible." He watched his dad's blue eyes narrow even further on him. "Her formula works. I just, I, I'm making sure there are no errors, nothing she didn't take into account."

"And?"

"I've found nothing thus far to dispute her theory." He then sighed again. "Only problem is that it's proven by using a series of hypothetical scenarios."

"What are you saying, son?"

"The only way to know for absolute certainty that she was correct is to use a real scenario."

"You got to be joking."

"I'm not. It's the only way to have a hundred percent certainty of her theory." Severus glanced at his dad and sighed. He knew the older man had no idea what her theory concerned, and Severus had no intention of informing him either. He would not be prevented or swayed from this action.

"Then what, son? What comes after you prove it?"

"Then, I can move on, Dad. This was her life's work, her passion. I just want to prove it for her." He remained neutral under his father's searching gaze. This had to work. There was no other option. He knew instantly at the sound of his dad's sigh that he had just gotten one step closer to his goal.

"All right then. Count me in. What do you need?"

* * *

After another month of planning with his father—the older man still not having been fully informed about what the theory concerned, the day was finally upon Severus. He rose early that morning and dressed in his best robes. His stomach felt like it was doing flips currently, but he did his best to ignore it. Nothing would stop him. Not this time.

For the first time in nearly a year, Severus's black eyes showed signs of life. He drew in a slow breath and smiled openly since it was just him in his bedroom. He glanced at a framed photo sitting on his nightstand and pressed a kiss against his forefingers before he touched the glass directly atop of a laughing woman.

"It'll be better this time. For all of us. I give you my word," he said aloud, his eyes hovering on the photo for a moment as his thumb rubbed the underside of a tarnished silver ring. Severus then turned away and walked out of his bedroom. His mind ran through the plan once more, making certain that he had left no possible scenario or variable out that would prevent his success. He found nothing several minutes later. It had all been taken into account. He was ready. More than ready, in fact.

He walked into the neglected sitting room and gave a curt nod to his father who stood in the middle of the room. His father wore a look of apprehension mixed with bewilderment, likely because he knew that Severus wasn't telling him the full story.

"You certainly got all cleaned up for this, didn't you?" his father remarked quietly.

"One must always look his best when he's heading to a place of authority. You taught me that."

"Yeah." His father frowned, rubbing his chin. "You know if this doesn't work, though—"

"It will."

"But if it doesn't—"

"It will. Please. Trust me. It'll work." Severus scolded himself silently as he heard his heart pound against his ribcage in nervousness. Why had his father said that and provided that seed of doubt? He shook his head a moment later. If it didn't work, then they'd be in Azkaban for a very long time. He had been forced to tell his father that since it was rather hard to keep that quaint consequence from the older man, seeing as how his dad was a wizard like him—a little unknown fact in the Wizarding World.

"You got everything?"

"Yes." He had his wand (his true one that was) tucked up into his sleeve, the black journal in his breast pocket above his heart, and the vial with the required potion in his left pocket of his frockcoat.

"All right. Let's go then."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," Severus softly said.

"Don't thank me yet, son. We ain't exactly proven it quite yet."

Severus snorted.

"Maybe not, but I'm glad you're here, Dad." He caught his father's brows furrow slightly before the man gave a jerky nod. Both men were famous for their avoidance of certain emotional moments. It was something that Severus's mother commented on quite frequently. Though, it wasn't like she was one to talk after all.

"Let's quit lollygagging around here. Ain't exactly got all day, you know?"

Severus gave a short laugh.

"Indeed." They Disapparated a moment later with two identical soft cracks.

When the men reappeared, they were standing in the atrium to the Ministry of Magic. They quickly headed for the lift and got on, riding it down to the Department of Mysteries level. Full of purpose, they continued once the lift stopped and headed down the long corridor. Severus tensed instantly when he noticed a familiar green-eyed man, whom Severus hadn't seen in years, approaching. _Harry._

"Professor Snape. I didn't know you were here today. Something I can help you with?" the man asked politely, his eyes darting hesitantly over to Severus's dad.

"No, Potter. I have it all well in hand," Severus replied, easily brushing past Harry.

"Um, well, may I ask where you're going? This level isn't exactly open to visitors, you know?"

Severus stopped for half a moment. Even with his back turned to Harry, he could read the younger wizard like an opened book. He could hear the wheels turning in the Gryffindor's mind about how to remain respectful yet still remain in control of the situation. He slowly turned around and caught Harry's eyes.

"You owe me numerous favors, Mr. Potter," Severus answered dryly with a shrug. "So, I've come to collect them in full today." He caught Harry's surprise instantly.

"Uh, sir?"

"I'm under the impression that the Veil is down here. I'd like to spend a few moments alone with it. Privately, Potter."

"Sir," Harry started to say.

"I risked my life for you, Potter. Many times over the years. I nearly died because of you in the Shrieking Shack, alone. You remember that, don't you, Mr. Potter?" He watched Harry blanch instantly. He then put the final nail in the coffin and spoke the following three words in his usual slow blunt way. "You owe me."

Harry's shoulders sagged in resigning defeat. "Follow me, sir." He slowly walked past Severus and headed further down the long hallway with various opened doors on either side of it.

Severus smirked inwardly when they passed by one of the doors. He could see the rows of shelves inside the room and stopped a moment later. He caught Harry stopping as well and turning around with a confused look on his face.

"Professor?"

"I see the Ministry has finally come back from losing its entire stock of Time Turners because of you," he remarked quietly, motioning towards the room.

"Yeah." Harry guiltily glanced down at his Ministry-issued boots. "Took years to make new ones. Guess it's not as easy as just putting the sand back in them. They say they're about at the level they were before they got destroyed."

Severus nodded slowly. "I see. How good for you that they were able to recover from it." He continued walking forward a moment later to follow Harry again. They stopped in front of the Death room not long after, Harry motioning the wizards inside.

Severus heard the whispers from the Veil instantly. He couldn't differentiate the voices, but every now and then he'd hear his name murmured. He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath to empty his mind. He turned away a moment later.

"Where's the loo, Potter?" Severus snapped suddenly.

"Down the hall to the right. Are you all right, Professor?"

Glancing at his dad, Severus waved his hand at him to give his dad the sign as he stalked past. He heard his dad suddenly clear his throat, knowing that Tobias would soon distract Harry for him while he headed to the desired room. He smirked inwardly as he walked out into the corridor. He was so close that he could feel it now.

Passing the door to the loo, Severus slipped inside the Time room a moment later. He quietly closed the door behind him and walked further into the room. He passed the majority of the items without as much as a glance at them. He smiled when he stopped in front of the shelves of Time Turners next to the bell jar. He pulled his ebony wand out of his sleeve and chuckled quietly before he made a quick jerk of his hand. With his nonverbal _Confringo,_ his dark eyes watched all the Time Turners suddenly explode violently, the magical sand spraying all around him. He removed the vial from his pocket then, pouring the potion around him in a circle on top of the sand.

The door burst open suddenly, revealing Harry and Tobias. Severus slowly turned around. He caught Harry's wide eyes before the young man glanced at Severus's father.

"What are you two doing? Are you insane?" Harry shouted, drawing his wand.

Severus merely chuckled, biding his time as the potion soaked into the sand. "As I said, Mr. Potter, you owe me." He smirked as the green-eyed man approached. He then glanced at his father, their eyes meeting. _I love you, Dad,_ he thought silently before he glanced away. With a turn of his wrist, he activated the necessary reaction for his potion and the magical sand.

"Happy fixing, son," Tobias called out over the sudden wind that had appeared.

Severus's eyes instantly darted to his father. His dad knew this whole time? He opened his mouth to speak, but the spell took over that exact second. He felt the tingling of magic throughout his body before everything around him just vanished.

" _Don't cry, love,"_ whispered a familiar female voice in the darkness. A memory. _"It's all right."_

Another voice then spoke coldly. _"I regret it."_ Another memory—Voldemort speaking this time.

" _A fragment of Voldemort's soul was blasted apart from the whole and latched itself onto the only living soul left in that collapsing building,"_ Dumbledore added, his voice swirling in the darkness.

" _Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers'—er—backgrounds."_ Umbridge, Severus recognized immediately. He could identify that annoying voice anywhere.

" _From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"_ cried Fudge, the pompous arse former Minister of Magic.

" _Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"_ The wolf, Lupin.

" _This is the end of Hogwarts."_ McGonagall's voice drifted in.

" _Snape was trying to save me?"_ Harry's voice, so young and innocent still.

" _I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way. I've chosen mine."_ Lily. His heart ached slightly as her voice swirled around in the darkness.

" _Son?"_ Severus's dad's voice then entered the mix. Yet another one of his memories, an older one. _"Hey, it's okay, lad. It ain't the end. Just the beginning, you know?"_

" _Listen to Mummy, my sweet little boy."_ His mother. _"We are always given a choice, Severus. It's what we do with them that matter, though."_

Severus thought hard on his choice as the voices slowly went silent. Every bit of determination and focus was behind him. He drew in slow breaths before he felt a light on his face. His eyes gradually opened to find himself in the Time room still, devoid of the previous destruction however. He looked around and noticed that there was no sand around him to leave behind evidence of his action. Good. His theory was correct there. The potion and sand had burned off during the transport.

" _Tempus_ ," he whispered, his nerves on edge. The date of October 31, 1981 hovered in the air in front of him with the time being—he was wasting time. He needed to move if he was to be successful. With a sudden turn, Severus Disapparated from the Time Room at the Ministry. He reappeared a moment later in Godric's Hollow, specifically the nursery in the Potters' residence directly behind one of the world's darkest wizards.

Mere milliseconds after Severus's arrival, Voldemort snarled coldly, " _Avada Kedavra_!" with his wand pointed at the small baby in the crib. The green jet of light flew from his wand towards the young curious child. Bouncing off the baby boy soon after, the curse headed back to Voldemort before the Killing Curse surrounded the dark wizard. A large boom erupted and violently shook the entire house.

As a result, Severus grabbed the wall to keep himself upright. However, at the sight of something flying from Voldemort, Severus quickly threw his hand out and silently summoned the young boy from the crib. With his arms wrapped tightly around the child, he Disapparated them away. Voldemort's soul would not latch onto the boy this time. There would be no seventh Horcrux.

Reappearing outside the small cottage a moment later, Severus watched a section of the roof explode, a black cloud shooting out of it before disappearing into the night sky. Voldemort was no more. Severus couldn't leave yet, though. He Disapparated back into the nursery with the now crying boy. He kept his eyes focused on the crib and avoided glancing where he knew Lily's lifeless body rested on the floor. He could not save her or James. Their fates were fixed in the timeline unfortunately.

"Hush, Potter," Severus ordered, his eyes never moving from the crib. "Or we won't get that happy ending we deserve." He frowned as an idea came to him. Knowing that Dumbledore would arrive soon to find Lily and James dead, Severus knew he had mere moments left now.

There could be no Harry Potter in this timeline. No Boy-Who-Lived. No Savior of the Wizarding World. No child who would be thrust into an adult world that was full of darkness and required to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Greater Good. No. No. Harry Potter _must die_ in this timeline with his parents. The world would have to create its own idea of how Voldemort was vanquished. Like Severus, this time Harry was not bound to serve others. They would live for themselves for once.

"I apologize for this," he whispered, rubbing the child's back as he held the crying boy against him. "But the world must believe it." He then raised his wand to the boy, resulting in a flash of light.


	2. Nobody Wants to Pay the Asking Price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the follows and favorites. I appreciate it tremendously. Without further ado, enjoy.

Hundreds of miles away, a young man in his early twenties rolled over in his warm bed with a loud groan. His black eyes darted to the window across from him to watch the green-reflected light dance around his room. The moonlight filtered through Black Lake's murky water. He sighed heavily and flopped over, grabbing his wand from the nightstand and revealing a black tattoo on his left forearm.

" _Tempus_ ," mumbled the young man, flicking his wand before running a hand through his long black hair. He groaned at the sight of the floating time. It was 12:15 on November 1. For some reason, he just couldn't get to sleep this night. "Wonderful," he sneered before he tossed the covers off and got up out of bed a moment later. He supposed he should at least be somewhat productive then.

Stumbling in a gray nightshirt, the young man headed towards his kitchenette. He needed a glass of water before he brewed the rest of the night. Yawning, he stretched his arms to the ceiling as he walked. He had just reached his counter and grabbed his cup when he heard a noise behind him. His wand slipped into his hand again before he whirled around.

"Who's there?" he shouted, his wand darting about the darkness.

"You in nineteen years," a voice identical to his replied dryly.

"What?" The young man flicked his wand, lighting the torches around the room. He took a step back when he saw a man who looked like him, only older. "Impossible."

"Not when you have a room full of Time Turners and an understanding of time's principles."

He blinked. "But I don't."

"Not yet. You will, though."

The young man's black eyes narrowed suspiciously onto his older version. The older man clearly had a difficult life, which considering the young man's own life he supposed wasn't too hard to believe. He frowned, crossing his arms as he watched the other man.

"It's a good story, but lies are always easier for one to believe than the truth."

His supposedly future self chuckled. "Then, how about I give you definitive proof? Dumbledore will Firecall you in a few moments. He'll ask you to step through, and he'll inform you that Voldemort murdered Lily, James, and Harry Potter tonight before he was defeated. He'll tell you that Lily and James placed their trust in the wrong person much like how you did. He'll then ask you to continue being a spy for him because he doesn't believe that Voldemort is truly gone."

Snape's wand trembled in his hand as he stared at his future self. "L-Lily's dead?"

"Yes."

"No, no, th-that can't be possible." He took a step back, feeling his heart clench painfully.

"Why? Because you begged Voldemort to spare her for you, telling him you didn't give a damn about her husband and child?"

"How do you know that?" Snape thrust his wand more towards the other man. "Answer me!"

"Because I'm you, nineteen years from now."

The words were out before he could stop himself. "Then why didn't you save her?!"

"No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"Their deaths are fixed. They can't be saved. Voldemort will always go after them."

"Not if I hadn't given him the prophecy!" he argued.

"If you hadn't given him the prophecy, there are two ways it'd have gone. Either he'd have learned the prophecy through Rosier, who was also there that night, or he'd have continued his fight until everyone had submitted to his ways. We both know Lily never would have submitted."

"So then, what? We do nothing?"

"We can't save her."

"We could have tried!"

"No." His older version sighed heavily, clearly weary as if he had battled with the same hopes himself before. "When Dumbledore dismisses you, ask him for the letter Lily wrote you."

"What letter?"

"The letter that Dumbledore will have taken from Godric's Hollow tonight and tucked away into his right hand drawer." His older self looked away with a sigh. "Dumbledore will manipulate you and ask you to remain his. He will keep that letter hidden because when you read it you will be able to move on from Lily, and he can't have that."

"Move on?" Snape repeated softly, staring at his future version. None of this made any sense.

"She won't be so strong in your mind after you read it. So perfect to you. You'll be able to let her go finally."

"Impossible. I love her," he argued fiercely. No. There was no way he'd move on from her now.

"Not in the way you think," his future self replied quietly.

"What do you mean by that?" he sneered, resisting the urge to hex the other man. It was all lies.

Before his future self could reply, however, his Floo roared to life. His eyes darted to it and waited for a moment as the face emerged. Was it possible that—?

"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice floated from the fireplace.

"Yes, Headmaster?" the younger Snape replied dutifully, glancing towards the flames.

"Step through please. We must talk," Dumbledore stated.

His eyes darted to his future self who stood off to the side. So far it was _exactly_ what the man had said would happen. The younger Snape closed his eyes before he headed to the fireplace. He stepped through a moment later and sighed when he reappeared in the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, Severus, thank you." Dumbledore sighed, glancing at him somberly. There was no twinkle in his blue eyes. "I'm afraid I have difficult news for you."

"Headmaster?" His insides clenched. He sat down when Dumbledore motioned to the chair.

"Not long ago, I received word that Lord Voldemort had discovered the Potters' location. Tonight he broke through the various protections placed on it. I'm afraid they're all dead. Even the boy. However, I've been informed that their deaths somehow aided in Voldemort's defeat tonight."

Snape's stomach dropped. No. No. It couldn't be true. No. Lily, his lovely Lily. Gone? But—no. He truly didn't want to believe his future self, but everything the man had said was happening thus far. He howled in heart wrenching pain. The fool with his heart on his sleeve. Not his beautiful Lily.

"I thought . . . you were going . . . to keep her . . . safe . . ."

A hand rested on Snape's shoulder. "She and James put their faith in the wrong person."

It felt like a sudden slap to his face. That was the same thing his future self had said.

"Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"

Snape's breathing was shallow. He stared at Dumbledore, unmoving. The events were matching up exactly. He couldn't deny it any longer. He couldn't brush off the man's words as he had. It was true. He _had_ gone back in time.

"I wish . . . I wish I _were_ dead," he cried before he buried his face into his hands.

"And what use would that be to anyone?" said Dumbledore coldly. "If you loved Lily Evans, if you truly loved her, then your way forward is clear."

His head jerked up before he stared at Dumbledore, recognizing the ploy of manipulation immediately. Dumbledore truly didn't give a damn about him. About anyone he'd imagine. He just wanted to use Snape for his own gain. Again. He forced himself not to exhibit his underlying rage at the man. Like hell would he be used like a pawn again!

"What do you mean?"

"You know how and why she died. Make sure it was not in vain."

"The Dark Lord has gone—"

"The Dark Lord will return, and we will all be in terrible danger when he does."

He bit his cheek to keep from hissing, 'And I should care about that why?' Instead, he drew in a slow breath to calm himself. There was one last thing that needed to be confirmed. One last thing he needed to know. He exhaled and spoke.

"I would like the letter Lily wrote me." He caught Dumbledore's surprise instantly. Perhaps on second thought that was stupid to demand right then. Dumbledore had made no mention of it. "I was waiting for her reply," he smoothly lied. "I know she wrote it." He held his hand out to him. "The letter, please." He watched Dumbledore frown before the older wizard opened his right hand drawer and pulled an envelope out. When it was in his hands, his fingers slowly curled around it a moment later. The proverbial nail was now in the coffin.

"Severus?" Dumbledore quietly said, staring at him curiously.

"What?"

"The Dark Lord will return. Do not let her death be made in vain. Join me again. Help me end this threat once and for all."

Snape blinked and coolly looked at Dumbledore with a neutral expression. Be a spy for him again? It was absurd. His mind, however, returned to his future self. The man had told him that Dumbledore would manipulate him, so technically Snape had the upper hand now with that knowledge. He would still need Dumbledore's protection unfortunately. No doubt, the Ministry would soon round up all the remaining Death Eaters and arrest them. He had no intention of being in Azkaban ever, of course. So that led him back to Dumbledore and the choice before him.

"Very well." Snape inclined his head in acceptance of Dumbledore's request.

"Excellent." Dumbledore then sighed heavily as he glanced down at his desk to gather his thoughts. "You will always have a home here at Hogwarts, Severus. I do hope you know that."

"Of course, Headmaster," he replied quietly. "If you'll excuse me, though?" He swallowed when his mind returned to Dumbledore's earlier words.

"Of course. Of course, my boy. Take all the time you need."

How truly remarkable was the difference in Dumbledore now that Snape had reaffirmed his loyalty to the older wizard. Before the man treated him coldly, as if Snape was nothing. Now, it was all lemon drops and kindness. How pathetic.

He turned away a second later, silently walking to the Floo and returning to his rooms. He closed his Floo behind him and activated his privacy wards. At the sight of his future self sitting on the sofa with a small boy in his arms now, he frowned. Was that his son he would have in the future? They did seem awfully close to one another in his opinion.

"You were right about everything," Snape told his future self.

"Obviously."

"I gave my word to Dumbledore that I would remain loyal. Was I correct to do that?"

"Yes."

Snape nodded slowly. Hearing that gave him a bit of peace for now. "Where do we go from here? I mean, you still haven't revealed why you've returned. It wasn't to save Lily and her family obviously." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but he heard it anyway.

"Actually, that's where you're mistaken." His future self smirked inwardly, clearly happy with himself for some reason.

"I am?"

"You are. It's not truly your fault, however. Dumbledore reached the natural conclusion based on the evidence he found tonight in the nursery. It is a lie, though. Lily's son did not die."

Snape's eyes widened before they darted to the small boy in his older self's arms. "Y-you kidnapped the boy and faked his death?"

"Yes."

"I—what—why?"

"Dumbledore would have given this child to Petunia to raise. You remember her, of course?"

"Lily's bitch sister?" He caught his older self's chuckle instantly.

"Indeed. The very one." The man then sighed, adopting his familiar neutral face. "She and her idiot husband would have abused him. Treated him worse than a house elf if we're honest. For the first ten years of his life, the boy would live in the cupboard under the stairs. He'd not be fed or clothed properly. In fact, he'd be forced to wear his fat cousin's castoffs and resort to stealing food just so he'd not starve to death, while his cousin was spoiled rotten."

"Was Dumbledore aware of this?" The twenty-one-year-old couldn't for the life of him think that it'd be possible. This was Lily's son. It sounded unreal to him.

"Yes." His older self pinched his mouth tightly together for a moment before he continued. "The boy's wellbeing was never Dumbledore's concern in my timeline. He would have asked you to protect the child because he has his mother's eyes. And before Albus's would-be death years from now, he would have revealed to you that he knew all along that the boy must die in the end to achieve victory once and for all over Voldemort. He would have betrayed you. He would have told you that you were protecting the child all those years so that the boy would die at precisely the right moment."

Snape could feel his blood boil. That bastard! This was a child for Merlin's sake, not some pawn. He couldn't believe it. A part of the younger Snape wanted to march back to the Headmaster's office and murder the man with his bare hands.

"He would have raised this child as a pig for slaughter, had I not interfered."

Snape nodded slowly. "So, you returned for the boy then." He supposed he could see that.

"And for us." His future self sighed softly. "As I'm certain you can imagine, Dumbledore will have used Lily's power over you every chance he could get in order to achieve his goal. I spied for him for many years. I watched a colleague be murdered in front of me, unable to stop it. I witnessed students be tortured for sport, unable to help them. I saw families in pain as they were ripped apart." He frowned and silently readjusted the small boy on his lap. "Near the end, I found myself confronting my own mortality once and realizing that I wasn't as infallible as I thought. You see, Voldemort ordered Nagini to kill me because he believed I had something of power that he wanted for himself. He was mistaken, of course, but that doesn't matter. I found myself dying alone on the floor of the Shrieking Shack."

Snape's eyebrows knit together as he listened. He didn't bother to interrupt his future self. He knew himself well enough to know that the man would reveal all in time. So he waited.

"It was in that moment I realized that I had wasted my second chance. I had lived my life solely for Lily, not myself. My actions over the years, protecting this child from harm, weren't heroic. They were cowardly and self-centered. I had truly believed that by keeping her child safe and alive that I would then be reunited with her in the afterlife and have my happy ending. That it would be all worth it in the end, my suffering as I paid the asking price. It was a lie, though. A lie that Dumbledore perpetuated for his own gain for decades."

"So, why are you here then?" The younger Snape felt a chill sweep over him when he caught his eyes stare back at him with a determined look.

"To throw a wrench into the proverbial system and end it once and for all."


	3. Secrets I Keep

Severus caught his younger self’s surprise and chuckled. He could understand his reaction. It was rather dramatic after all. But it was entirely true. He was throwing the largest wrench he had to end it all.

“You can’t just start changing everyone’s lives,” his younger self squawked in outrage.

“I’m not changing _everyone’s_ lives,” Severus countered slowly. “Only the boy’s and your lives.” He watched his younger self scratch his head then and stare back in confusion.

“I—” The young man sighed. “This is madness. Utter insanity.” He clearly was struggling for words as he stared back at Severus. “I don’t understand. There are laws. Laws of physics that prevent this from occurring. Hell, laws enforced by the Ministry itself to ensure one can’t return. How is this possible? It doesn’t make a bit of sense.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m going mad. That’s the only explanation there is. I’ve lost all sanity. Or perhaps all this is a dream. A delusion brought on by a high fever. Something.” His younger self swallowed a moment later. “Anything but this.”

“You may tell yourself whatever you need to in order to come to terms with all this, but the fact remains that I’m here, as is this boy,” Severus replied quietly. He could understand why his younger self would be so unsettled. The supreme law of time travel that was always warned about was this exact situation, a person from the future meeting his past self. It would cause all sorts of paradoxes, infinite possibilities and endless changes to the timeline. An alternate universe in other words. Not to mention the risk of insanity if his younger self couldn’t find a way to come to terms with his future self’s presence. However, this was the only way to ensure a different timeline than the one he had come from. The only way to give them a fighting chance for success. “In this timeline, the boy will not be raised as a pig for slaughter,” he stated strongly. “Nor will he be forced to endure the hell that would have been his childhood with the Dursleys. With this action, I’ve given us a chance for success now.”

“Oh.” His younger self then swallowed and glanced warily at the young boy who watched him curiously. “So you’re here to tell me that Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard that would have gotten many of us killed and used me, but that Lily’s son is alive. Okay. Um, thanks. I guess.”

Severus chuckled loudly, rubbing young Harry’s back soothingly when the toddler started to fuss once more. Had he truly been so foolish in his twenties? It would definitely seem so. Then again, he supposed it could have been a result of pure shock from meeting his future self. There was no need to count that possibility out. After all, Severus didn’t have all the necessary understanding of time’s principles quite yet. It was still a work in progress, he liked to think. There was after all only so much her journal could help him with.

“Hardly,” Severus drawled with a shake of his head. “The boy will need someone to care for him.” At the sight of alarm in his younger self’s eyes, he found it oddly amusing to watch himself panic.

“What?” the younger Snape cried in sheer terror. He held his hands up and slowly backed away, as if the toddler was a weapon of some kind. “No. No. I can’t raise a child. I-I-I’ve never even been with a woman much less been around a child. No. Absolutely not. I can’t—not a brat. I—why can’t you raise him? You changed his life! Not me! I was happily sleeping or something . . . no . . . no. Absolutely not! Not doing it. No.”

Severus’s laughs deepened as he shook his head. He could now understand why she—his smile faltered suddenly. The color drained from his face. He closed his eyes and blinked back the tears that were sure to appear as his heart physically ached at recalling his wife. It was still too painful for him. A year after her death, he still couldn’t find it in himself to let go of his pain. But then again, she was the main driving force behind all this. The main reason he had decided to risk it all. It was all to give the poor souls who suffered so much in his timeline a chance. Not to mention, that one chance to have the life he had yearned so long for that he’d had a taste of briefly before it was once again ripped from him.

“I can’t just appear one day with the brat,” his younger self stated, still clearly apprehensive about the prospect of raising a child. “They’ll know something’s going on then.”

“I’m aware,” Severus coolly replied a few moments later, latching onto the distraction for all he had in order to escape the heartbreak that gripped him emotionally inside. “However, I wasn’t suggesting you walk out of here tomorrow with him on your hip.”

“Then what are you suggesting?”

“Request a sabbatical for the rest of the year tomorrow. It is after all only natural that you would do so after losing a woman you love so fiercely. He will have expected it.”

“A sabbatical? But I—”

“Oh, please,” Severus snorted. “We both know that you hate teaching. It’s the perfect excuse.”

His younger self watched him nervously. The young man clearly hadn’t fully come to terms with all this time travel quite yet, but Severus could see the earlier mistrust slowly starting to fade from his younger self’s eyes.

“Is it what you did?”

“No.” Severus sighed heavily. “I was forced to take a two-month break, however.” In fact, a day after learning of Lily’s death in his timeline, he had lost his temper and scared his fifth-year students to death. Naturally, the moment Dumbledore heard of the incident from the students’ parents, he forced Severus to take an unpaid leave of absence. That had been a rough two months for him, he recalled.

“Oh.”

“Indeed.” Severus glanced down at the little boy on his lap and smoothed little Harry’s raven hair affectionately. It was odd to think how much he had grown to care for the boy over the years.

“Are you sure you don’t want him?” his younger self asked. “I mean, you’re pretty good with him, and I’ll—”

“You’ll learn,” Severus stated firmly, glancing at his younger self. “Like you, I have no experience raising toddlers either.” He heard his younger self let out a sigh of relief and glanced sharply at him. “What?”

“Well, for a minute there, I thought I had a litter of children in the future like the Weasleys.”

Severus snorted. “Hardly.”

“Good. Because women are messy and complicated, and I’ve had a lifetime of that.”

The pained look flashed in his eyes instantly before he subconsciously rubbed the tarnished silver wedding band on his finger, the light reflecting off a spot a moment later.

“Oh no,” his younger self said quietly. “I married . . .”

“It’s not the death sentence you’re making it out to be,” Severus snapped with a dark glare.

“No, but . . . I love _her_ ,” his younger self pleaded, the whining entering his voice again. “I don’t understand. How could I marry after losing the one woman I love? The one woman who mattered?”

“Obviously you move on,” he replied with a deep frown.

“But this is Lily we’re talking about! What—I don’t—how could I have moved on after losing her? After being the reason she died? The moment I heard that he was going to go after her, I switched sides. I’ve tried to—I wrote her once, you know? Told her how sorry I was and that I hoped she was all right. I-I-It doesn’t make sense.”

Severus sighed heavily. “It will.”

“No. I mean, this letter,” his younger self said, motioning to the envelope he held in his hands. “You said it’ll make me realize that I don’t love her like I think I do. How? What could she have possibly said in it that would make me move on from her now?”

Severus bit back his instinctive reply. He couldn’t answer that for his younger self. The twenty-one-year-old would have to find that out for himself. He drew in a slow breath and then answered.

“Read the letter. It’ll be obvious then.”

“How?”

“Just read it.”

“But you know the answer. I don’t understand. Any of this.”

“You will.” Severus watched his younger self stare at him helplessly. He couldn’t give all the answers. There were things he knew that was better for the younger man to find out on his own.

“Answer me something. Please?”

“I’ll try,” he replied.

“What are you going to do now? You brought the boy to me and practically dropped him off in my lap. So what now? You happily live your life while I’m saddled with even more responsibility that I didn’t want to begin with.”

“Hardly,” he drawled.

“Then what? What am I missing?”

He stared at his younger self before he bit back a sigh. He truly had expected this reaction, but now that the moment was there he wasn’t certain what to say exactly. If he told about the Horcruxes, it could destabilize the timeline completely. There was a reason after all why time travel was frowned upon. However, he knew that his younger self wouldn’t just let him go without answering. He flicked back his long locks and glanced at his younger self. Perhaps a half-truth would satisfy his past self.

“There are items that are scattered about that ensure the Dark Lord’s return.”

“Items? What sorts of items?”

“Dark items, and I’d appreciate it if we left it at that,” Severus quietly said.

“So, you’re going to search for these items?” Severus nodded. “Oh.” His younger self then glanced nervously at the toddler. “Then you’ll return for the brat?”

In all his months of planning for this exact moment, Severus had never considered his endgame. He frowned inwardly. Just what would he do after he succeeded? His eyes darted down to the child sitting on his lap. This wasn’t just a second chance for Severus. It was one for Harry as well.

“This child in my arms,” Severus started quietly. “You may think of him as a brat now, but one day, I promise you, you will wake up and see him as the precious child he is.” He sighed when he heard his younger self’s tongue click in disgust. “If that’s not the case, then surely I don’t need to remind you that you could always give him to another _loving_ family, perhaps ones like Petunia’s. Or better yet, the boy could be raised by a Muggle who’d likely attempt to beat the unnaturalness out of him.” He watched the anger immediately flood his younger self’s face, knowing that he had struck just the right nerve. With a raised eyebrow, he waited for his younger self to argue, but the twenty-one-year-old remained silent thankfully. After all, there wasn’t much one could argue considering.

“I take it then that you know the locations of all these dark objects?”

Severus shook his head, setting little Harry down on the sofa beside him. “Only where they’ll be in the future.” He could see the wheels turning in his younger self’s head and knew he needed to end this conversation soon for both their sakes. “Take the sabbatical and raise the boy as your own. I’ll take care of the rest.” With no notice of his intent, he Disapparated then, leaving young Harry and Snape all alone.


	4. Making Waves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I admit that the science involved in this chapter isn't possible in the real world, but in my defense it is called creative writing. :) Enjoy the long chapter.

As soon as his future self had Disapparated and left him alone with the toddler, the young man felt himself start to panic. How the hell was he supposed to care for a fifteen-month-old? He had never been around toddlers before, so he hadn't a clue what to do next. Should he feed it to prevent the brat from wailing like a banshee? Then came the question of what to feed it. Did a one-year-old still require its mother's milk or was it able to eat solid foods? He nervously glanced at the brat on his sofa. Swallowing slowly a moment later, he winced at his stupidity at the sight of the teeth peeking through the angry red gums. Solid food it was.

Honestly. This was truly a disaster in the making. How dare his future self leave the brat with him all alone!

When Snape noticed the toddler scooting closer to the edge of the sofa, he felt his heart start to race. It wasn't even going to be a minute before he killed the brat. He could see it now. Stooping forward at a quick pace, he scooped the child up from the edge and held him tightly against his chest. A moment later, he regretted this action immensely.

Horrendous cries tore from the toddler and filled the room. It reminded Snape of the sound of a wounded animal dying. He suppressed the urge to shudder at that thought. He'd had enough of death and somber thoughts for one day.

"Hush, brat," he scolded, sneering down at the wailing child in his arms. "You're fine." However, the child only cried louder. "That's enough," he growled, hoping that fear would quiet the toddler down like it did with the older brats he taught. It didn't, of course. In fact, the child's piercing cries went even higher. "Enough! Or I'll give you a reason to cry, you stupid brat!"

As the toddler's piercing cries increased with each passing moment, so did Snape's frustration. All he wanted was one moment of peace and quiet while he planned out his next course of action. Was that too much to ask for? He didn't think so. Yet there he was, holding the banshee from hell in his arms.

Completely at his wit's end now, he contemplated dumping the child off at the nearest orphanage. Surely they were better equipped than he was to handle the brat. However, all it took was one look before those thoughts quickly evaporated. He had her eyes. The damn brat had _her_ eyes.

"Hush," Snape whispered a moment later, all traces of anger long since evaporated. Cradling the boy closer to him then, he ran a gentle hand down the boy's back as he had seen his older self do earlier. This small child in his arms was the last connection he had to his beautiful Lily. How could he ever want to give that up? With his mind having returned to his earlier conversation with his future self, he sighed quietly before he spoke again. "You're safe now." Safer than the boy would have been if he had been forced to live with the Dursleys for certain, he thought quietly to himself.

He had met Vernon Dursley only once, and that was one time too many in his opinion. It had occurred during the summer after he and Lily had left Hogwarts for their final time. The beefy snob had been invited to Lily's parents' vow renewal ceremony, which Snape had been forced to attend as well thanks to his mother being such good friends with the Evans family.

Throughout the entire event, Petunia and Dursley made snide remarks about how Snape and his mother had only been invited because Lily's parents pitied them. As if Snape hadn't heard that all his life. However, the thing that stuck out the most in his mind about Dursley, out of all the unpleasantness that followed the fat bastard, was the moment he walked in on Dursley backhanding Petunia behind the Evans's house. While he'd admit that he was gleeful about that horrible cow finally getting her comeuppance at the time, he later regretted that thought. No one deserved that.

"Dada?" a soft voice hesitantly said, drawing him out of his thoughts instantly.

Snape froze. Dada? He swallowed before he glanced down at the small child in his arms. He hadn't even noticed that the boy had stopped crying until then. His heart ached once more as those beautiful green eyes stared up at him. Snape was at a loss what to do next. Clearly the boy expected something from him, but he didn't know what. Swallowing back his guilt, he drew in a slow breath.

"Yes?" he whispered, knowing he had just sentenced himself to hell for it. He inhaled sharply when the boy nuzzled further into his chest a moment later. Breathing shakily, he cleared his throat. "You certainly tug on the heart strings, don't you, brat?" However, he soon noticed that the young child was already fast asleep. Snape breathed a sigh of relief. Now maybe he could think of his next action.

* * *

An hour later, Snape emerged from his bedroom, now dressed in his formidable black robes and a plan in mind. He glanced sideways towards the sleeping infant that was on his sofa. His fingers curled around the black wand that was in his deep robe pocket. It truly would be easier this way, he decided. As the gentle light from his spell enveloped the sleeping child, he glanced away guiltily, his hand uncurling from his wand soon after. Now there would be no more unfortunate interruptions.

Stooping down once again, he picked the toddler up and cradled him against his chest. He then murmured a soft spell, feeling the long airy black material of his robes surround the sleeping toddler and make a wraparound sling. Turning away, he headed for the door, only to stop a second later. Using the door to leave Hogwarts was clearly out on second thought. There were too many chances of being sighted leaving that way. He then glanced towards his fireplace. Would Albus be watching the Floo tonight, he wondered. The resounding answer of 'yes' echoed in his mind. The old man would likely be watching the Floo like a hawk just to see what Snape would do tonight after learning of . . . the deaths. He sighed, though, and glanced down at the small child a moment later. He would have to risk it.

After freezing the flames in the fireplace, he grabbed a bit of Floo powder from the opened jar on the mantelpiece and tossed the glittering powder into the flames. He cradled the young toddler closer to him, even though that wasn't truly necessary since the spell kept the child secure in the sling, as he calmly walked into the now emerald flames.

"St. Mungo's," he called out loudly before he vanished into the immense Floo Network.

Not long after, Snape gracefully stepped out of St. Mungo's fireplace in a whirl of black robes. He briefly glanced around the deserted lobby and caught his reflection in a nearby mirror. His hood had come up somehow during his journey and now masked his identity, and the loose material of his black robes had covered the young child as well. His lips upturned slightly at this realization. That would make things easier for him as well. Perhaps his luck would be changing from now on.

Snape then turned and headed for the nearest corridor. Since it was so late at night, St. Mungo's was mostly empty. So, he found navigating the deserted corridors and avoiding the few workers at the hospital to be a breeze. Sticking to the shadows, he made his way to the third floor where he knew she'd be working tonight.

Several minutes passed before he finally reached the room at the end of the third floor. He drew in an anxious breath as he slowly approached the opened doorway, still partially obscured in the shadows. Perhaps on second thought this was a horrible idea. He glanced in nonetheless and found her standing with her back to him facing a shelf full of potions that she appeared to be cataloging. He stepped into the room and quietly closed the door behind him.

"Narcissa?" he softly said a second later, his insides knotting horribly. This had to work. He didn't know what else to do.

"Severus!" the blonde witch cried, whirling around with a surprised look on her beautiful face. Her eyes then passed over him quickly before her brows furrowed. "What is it? Is Lucius all right?"

"I would not know, but I require your assistance with another matter tonight."

"Oh?"

He sighed before he pulled back the long material that covered the young sleeping toddler.

"A child?" she whispered before she glanced back at him with wide eyes.

"I . . . I have been tasked to watch over him, but I fear . . ." His voice trailed off momentarily. "I fear I haven't a clue what to do next." He watched the smile quickly spread across her face.

"Of course." She held her arms out.

Snape instinctively held the boy closer to him before he hesitantly removed his spell and handed the toddler over. He watched her cradle the one-year-old against her affectionately soon after.

"Oh, he's so sweet, Severus," she commented as she ran a finger against the boy's cheek. "I take it that He wants the usual then?"

"The usual?" Snape replied with a blink of surprise.

Narcissa smiled painfully. "I'm afraid you're not the first one that He's sent a child to visit me." She then gently rocked the toddler in her arms. "Typically, His orders are for me to fool the Aurors so that they would never discover the child's true identity. Is that His request this time?"

Snape stared at her, unable to speak. There had been other children taken by his future self?

"Or is it something else this time, Severus?"

He swallowed a moment later and glanced at the ground.

"I see," she said quietly. Her hand then gently rested on his arm. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked, his eyes gazing back at her.

"For saving this child." She exhaled softly and shook her head before she pressed a soft kiss to the boy's forehead. "I know of the orders you're expected to follow sometimes. Lucius has spoken about them after difficult nights." She then glanced back at him, holding his eyes. "I'm glad you didn't follow His orders this time. Children are precious things. We should value them, not kill them."

His breathing slowed next to nothing as he realized what she was saying. She had believed that he had disobeyed the Dark Lord and had saved a child marked for death. He stared at her, unable to speak again. He couldn't lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth either. However, as he tried to regain his composure, her earlier words swam in his mind. _Fool the Aurors so that they would never discover the child's true identity._

"Narcissa?" he breathed, his heart beating faster now.

"Yes?"

"How do you fool the Aurors?"

She remained quiet for a few moments, likely figuring out how to word her answer tactfully he assumed. She drew in a deliberate clipped breath before she spoke. "When Aurors attempt to prove paternity, they take a sample of the child's blood and test it against the supposed father's. However, if you transfuse another man's blood with the child's and alter the specific material a child receives from his biological father and match it to the other man's, the Aurors' paternity test would believe that the other man is the father instead of the actual father." She smiled slightly more then. "It's a trick my mentor showed me actually. Something she learned from the Muggles, I believe."

He frowned as he realized that she was talking about genetic manipulation. Considering they were still living with what would be antiquated technology in the Muggle world, the concept of genetic manipulation would have been centuries away from implementation in the Wizarding world. But if Narcissa was right and some healer had learned it in the Muggle world and had adapted it to theirs—he couldn't imagine the ramifications.

"It wouldn't hurt him, Severus. I assure you," Narcissa stated quietly. She gently whispered in the toddler's ear then before she glanced back at him. "You'd be a good father for him, I'd imagine."

Snape quickly looked away, feeling a pang in his chest again. Him, a father? It was utter madness. At the sound of a slight gurgle a moment later, he turned his attention back to Narcissa and the child. Once more, his black found Lily's green eyes.

"See? Even he likes the idea," she teased with a soft laugh, motioning towards the smiling toddler in her arms.

Snape winced guiltily. "You woke him." He tried but failed to keep the dread out of his voice.

"Of course I did." Narcissa then fixed him with a hard look. "While you're hardly the first to do it when faced with a child suddenly, it's not proper of you to spell him asleep, Severus."

"How else was I supposed to calm him enough to sneak him in here?"

"You could have always sent me a message," she pointed out. "I would have come."

He scoffed in efforts to cover his instinctive wince at his own stupidity. "Oh yes, and then Lucius would wonder later why I called you away from work instead of coming directly to you." He then forced an uncomfortable smile to his face. "I'd much rather not be the reason for any marital issues you have."

She laughed warmly, though. "I assure you, Severus, Lucius does not turn jealous that easily. Surely a man of your intellect could assume if that were the case, then I would no longer be employed here since I work quite closely with numerous men on a daily basis."

He merely inclined his head a moment later and did his best to ignore the unintentional sting of her words. Lucius may not have turned jealous that easily, but Snape surely did. He truly didn't know how Lucius could manage not keeping her locked away for only his eyes to see.

"I suppose if you'd rather, though, I could contact an orphanage and place the boy there," Narcissa said suddenly after the deafening silence had went on for several minutes.

"No!" Snape yelled out, nearly snatching the young child from her instinctively. He caught her knowing smile immediately and sighed. She always knew how to play him just right. He supposed, however, that was part of the appeal for Lucius. Someone to match wits with the blonde wizard.

"You came here to ask me for help," she pointed out.

"I did," he agreed reluctantly.

"So, why not be a father to him?"

"Because blood doesn't make a father, Narcissa," he replied bitterly, briefly recalling a childhood memory.

"You're right. It does not. However, think of what you've done, Severus. You've taken this boy from his parents. Granted, they are likely dead now, but the fact still remains that the boy may still have family of some kind. Family that the Aurors would grant custody to. And then we both know what would happen. The Dark Lord would learn of your disobedience and punish you as a result."

He stared at her, feeling his insides knot once more.

"So, the question you have to ask yourself is this, 'Do I want to risk the Dark Lord learning of my disobedience?"

"It's not so simple."

"But it is. If you give the child up, then you will never know if your sacrifice was in vain or not. You will never know until that moment before you are brought in before the Dark Lord if He knows what you did. It will hang over you like a dark cloud. Every day you'll have to look over your shoulder and struggle with that little voice of doubt."

He swallowed. He knew that voice all too well nowadays.

"Or you can raise the child as your own flesh and blood," Narcissa stated.

"Perhaps you've forgotten that I reside at Hogwarts. I—"

"Could easily learn that a random tryst you had with some courtesan from Hogsmeade or London had resulted in a pregnancy. You'd hardly be the first man in that castle to have that occur," she drawled. When he didn't say anything, her smile widened. "So, what say you, Severus? Shall I call the orphanage or are you ready to become a father?"

With his eyes downcast since he didn't have the heart to look at Narcissa and the child, he sighed. A random tryst? That was the excuse he'd give for suddenly gaining a child? He supposed it could work. If only one didn't take into the fact that he hadn't had so much of a tryst in his life. Would it be plausible? He considered that for a moment. Most would believe it certainly. However, the bigger question remained if his two puppet masters would believe such a story.

Snape thought for another moment on this. The Dark Lord had always told him that there would be another, one worthier of his attentions than Lily. So, that led to the answer of yes. However, he knew that he would then be forced, if Dumbledore and his future self were right and the Dark Lord would return, to perform certain undesirable acts in the future.

Then there was Dumbledore, the old man who looked like the kind gentle grandfather everyone knew and loved, but who really was just another type of sick monster like the Dark Lord. Would Dumbledore believe the story? Snape closed his eyes soon after. The old man would certainly be suspicious, especially if he had been watching the Floo tonight and noticed the second signature with him. Dumbledore would likely even step up his random probing of Snape's mind afterwards just to learn the truth. However, with all the practice the young wizard had received lately from masking his true thoughts and memories from Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, he was now able to sense when someone was trying to probe his mind and could quickly misdirect them instead. So, he could perhaps convince Dumbledore through a series of planned misdirects. It could work, he supposed.

He glanced towards the young boy, finding Lily's eyes staring at him curiously again. His future self had given the boy to him so the child would have a better life this time. That led to the idea that his future self was fairly confident that he could care for a child. Somehow. He sighed again as time continued to stretch on slowly.

He could not move past the word 'father.' It was beyond absurd. Him, father to Lily's son? Utter madness. And yet, a part of him secretly found that idea oddly appealing. After all, had he not lost his temper that day by the lake during their fifth year, he believed that the boy would have truly been his. That she would have continued to resist Potter's attempts and been with only him, Snape, instead.

"Severus?" Narcissa said, cutting in through his thoughts once more.

All it took was a simple 'yes' and then all would be semi-right with the world again. He still wouldn't have his beautiful Lily, but at least her son would have a better life than he ever would have had with the Dursleys. He could teach himself how to be a father, to have the necessary patience required for such a task. He could do this. He could tell the boy all about his mother, how wonderful and kind she was. Hell, with time, he was certain that he could learn to love the child as his own.

But then there was the fact that he'd be removing all of James from the boy. Lily, unfortunately, had made her choice in the end, and it hadn't been Snape. Would she be upset about his selfishly replacing James with himself? He winced inwardly, knowing that answer.

"Severus?" Narcissa repeated, this time her hand resting on his arm.

"It won't harm him?" he asked quietly, feeling slightly sick to his stomach as he contemplated it.

"He might feel perhaps a bit of a sting at first, but that is all."

"The Aurors would never know?"

"Not unless they did further testing in the Muggle world," she answered honestly. "But even then, they would still need something to test against."

He nodded slowly. "And if they used spells to determine paternity?"

"The spell would recognize you, Severus. Just as it would if potions were used to determine it."

His eyes slowly wandered back to the boy. "This . . . alteration that you'd be doing, would it affect his physical features?" Merlin help him if the boy's green eyes changed from Lily's to his.

"Well, he's still young enough where that could happen. He is, after all, a growing boy. I admit, though, that I'm not as good as my mentor is at manipulating specific areas. So, it'd be more of a blending instead of a full replacement."

A blend of him and James Potter? He shook his head and frowned. It would be one way where he could learn to live with himself for doing this, he supposed.

He exhaled loudly with his mind made up now. "What do you need from me, Narcissa?"

She smiled warmly and motioned towards a nearby chair. "Sit." She then handed the small boy to him before she headed towards a silver cabinet and opened a drawer.

He watched her remove a tray of medical instruments and then return to him. His stomach lurched when he saw the syringe. Muggle medicine was something he disliked immensely like the rest of the Wizarding world. He made a face as she wrapped a tourniquet around his forearm near his wrist.

"Relax for me," she instructed, grabbing the young toddler from him.

"I take it that if magic could be used, that it would be?" he commented dryly.

"It would," she agreed, nodding slowly. "However, in this case, I need to transfuse your blood with his, and it is much faster to do a direct transfusion."

His frown deepened. However, she had already turned away from him and set the child on a nearby counter.

"I'll speed the process up as soon as I have the lines in your artery and in his vein, of course," she explained a moment later, as she quickly poked the tiny needle into the toddler's arm.

At the sound of no crying from the small child, Snape's eyes narrowed on her as she moved to him. How had she done that? He had been convinced that the banshee from hell would have made a reappearance after such a thing. He caught her soft responding laugh instantly.

"I never said that I couldn't numb the area beforehand, Severus."

He then felt a gentle tingle in his wrist before she slid a needle into him. He could feel the pressure from it, but there was no pain thankfully. At the sight of his blood rapidly filling the clear tube and heading towards the small child, he glanced away and looked at the shelf full of potions. However, the sound of paper flapping in the air caused him to turn back. His brows furrowed when a piece of parchment floated down into Narcissa's outstretched hand.

"The birth certificate," she explained when she caught his confused look.

"Oh." He nodded sharply and then glanced away again. That made sense. Most parents, after all, had a copy of their child's birth certificate somewhere. He'd certainly need it if the Aurors came by.

"Do you have a name in mind for him?"

He blinked and slowly turned back. A name? He then thought for a moment. What was the child's name anyway? He knew there had been a birth announcement for the child in _Daily Prophet_. He had seen it after returning from a raid one night pinned to the top of the Dark Lord's board with a large circle around it. But Snape hadn't paid attention to the name, only the birthdate and Lily's name. The moment he had seen that the child was born at the end of July, he had grown very nervous. It had been that night when he had begged the Dark Lord on his knees to spare Lily for him.

He swallowed back his emotions as they once again bubbled up inside him. However, his mind didn't listen. A memory quickly flashed behind his eyes, taking control of him.

_Dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and overly large shirt, the teenage Snape lay beneath a large willow tree next to Lily, who was staring up at the sky with a sad smile. The two friends would point every now and then and comment on a cloud's appearance before they'd giggle and laugh loudly._

" _Sev?" Lily said in her usual gentle voice, surrounding the young boy in warmth instantly._

" _Yeah?" He turned his head slightly to glance at her._

" _Thank you for bringing me out here today."_

_He only nodded and looked back up at the clouds._

" _Do you think Grandpa Harrison is looking down on us now?" she asked quietly._

_The young boy shrugged slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation. "I suppose." He then lowered his voice and murmured, "If you believe in that sort of thing."_

_She was quiet for a while then, which made him nervous and worry that he had said the wrong thing. He peeked through his long hair at her and bit his bottom lip._

" _Lily?" he whispered, his insides knotting horribly. He slowly rolled over when still she didn't say anything. When she launched herself towards him a moment later, he coughed and stiffened._

" _I miss him, Sev," she cried, burying her head into his neck as she hugged him fiercely._

_He swallowed again, feeling even more uncomfortable. "I know," he replied hoarsely, hesitantly returning her hug. "Maybe he could tell me about him. Your grandfather, I mean?"_

_Her face brightened before she told her best friend all sorts of stories about her late grandpa._

Pulling himself out of his memory, he blinked and drew in a slow breath. He met Narcissa's eyes, knowing that the witch had likely repeated herself while he had been lost in the past.

"Harrison," he said roughly, his throat oddly having run dry. "Harrison Avery Snape."

"It's a beautiful name, Severus. I take it he's not named after our mutual Avery, though?"

"He's not." Snape left it at that. He then drew in a sharp breath as Narcissa removed the tube from his wrist a moment later. He winced at the sight of blood gushing out of him not long after before she murmured a healing charm and sealed the wound. He wordlessly took the offered Blood Replenishing potion from her and drank it, feeling slightly less queasy and lightheaded not long after.

She silently drew her wand and murmured another spell. The tip of her wand turned blue briefly before she moved it gradually over the toddler. A soft hum filled the room as she worked on the child.

Unable to wait any longer, Snape cleared his throat and spoke. "I take it we won't be here all night, correct?" He noticed her sharp look directed at him and merely raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Why? Do you have more pressing matters than this to attend to?" Narcissa replied harshly.

"No, but it is nearly three in the morning," he stated with a frown. When she laughed soon after, he felt a surge of annoyance. "What?"

"Far be it from me to inform you of this now, but young children rarely care about the time. So you better get used to late nights, Severus, because you'll be having a lot of them from now on."

"It's not the fact that it's late that is bothersome," he grumbled, glancing around the room suspiciously. At any moment someone could walk in and see him with the boy, and then it'd be all over.

"We're alone," Narcissa reiterated once she realized what he was worried about.

"For now," he remarked quietly.

Several minutes passed by before she once again pocketed her wand and stood up straight. She gently handed the young child over to Snape and gave him a quick look. "It's finished." She then grabbed a quill, dipped it into the inkwell, and completed the birth certificate.

He watched her write 'Harrison Avery Snape' with a flourish before she paused at the line that asked for the date of birth. He felt the pit in his stomach grow exponentially. There was no way he could leave the boy's birthdate be July 31. The boy would then be thrust back into that ridiculous prophecy crap and hunted like an animal for the rest of his life. No, that would have to change as well. A part of him wanted to tell her to change it to January 30, but that was seven months difference.

"June 30," Snape finally said several minutes later. He watched her add that date and then closed his eyes. The boy was now safer than he had been just two seconds ago. When he heard Narcissa snap her fingers a moment later, he reopened his eyes and watched a large barn owl fly in through the opened window. As the owl rested on the desk, Narcissa quickly signed the document and made a copy. With a soft smile, she later ripped sections of the original followed by burning the edges to give it a more frayed and aged look. Once she was satisfied with her work, she rolled the original up, wrote a quick note, and attached both gently to the owl's leg with a thin piece of twine.

"Ministry of Magic," she calmly instructed before she pointed towards the opened window. Without another word, the barn owl took flight and flew towards its destination. "There we are." She then turned towards Snape. "It'll be filed first thing in the morning if I know my Ministry contact at all."

"There won't be any problems?"

"No." She shrugged. "I explained that it unfortunately had been lost due to the incompetence of a new staff member last year and that we just recently found it and need it filed as soon as possible. All things that are entirely plausible around here unfortunately." She then smiled warmly at him again. "Welcome to fatherhood, Severus."

He returned a thin smile and glanced down at the little boy in his arms. He gulped when his eyes met Lily's again. What had he just gotten himself into this time?

"There's no reason to be alarmed. I'll give you the abridged version of good parenting before I send you on your way. I promise." She gained his full attention then as he listened very closely for the next fifteen minutes, doing his best to commit all the info to memory for later use.

However, the moment he heard a knock at the door, everything he had just learned went straight out the window and nervousness took over again. He held the small boy closer against him in a protective manner, noticing Narcissa's amused smile instantly as she turned to the opening door.

A curly blond haired witch in lime green robes, a healer he realized quickly, walked into the room not long after. The woman's icy blue eyes briefly passed over him and the toddler in a cold manner before she sharply turned her head away from them.

"I apologize for interrupting, Narcissa," the witch stated indifferently. "However, I require your presence downstairs." The woman then forced a thin curt smile. "So, if you're quite finished here, perhaps you could assist me with the numerous casualties that will be arriving shortly. Unless you'd rather continue your _quaint_ little chat with one another?" she said tersely.

"No, Syra. We're finished here," Narcissa replied respectfully. "I was merely casting a Paternal Charm on this young man's child for him."

Snape watched the woman's eyebrow raise slightly before she glanced at him.

"Oh?" Syra then sharply laughed before she looked away. "And? Were you successful?"

"I think so," Narcissa answered, feigning unsureness.

Syra sighed quietly. "What color did the haze turn?"

"A bit pink, I suppose," Narcissa easily lied.

"Oh goodness gracious!" the older woman exclaimed in clear exasperation. She then drew her own wand and pointed it at the toddler. With a flick of her wand, she cast her spell and a gentle haze surrounded him and the boy. When a green haze settled around both, she ended her spell instantly and slipped her wand back under her sleeve. "Congratulations. You're yet another young person who has thrown his life away just for five minutes of bliss between the sheets," she stated bluntly before she whirled around. "You have five minutes, Narcissa. Not one more." The older witch then promptly left.

"I apologize for her," Narcissa said with a sigh. "She—well, she is much rather used to long nights in a lab, I'm afraid, than dealing with people."

He nodded somewhat, knowing that he was the same way unfortunately.

"I should get going. If you require anything else, though, please don't hesitate to owl me, Severus. I'd be more than happy to help."

"Of course," he replied, inclining his head politely towards her.

As she turned to head towards the door, he realized that he couldn't allow her to leave just like that. Not with her knowing that he had a child that didn't truly belong to him. If it was all true and the Dark Lord had truly been defeated tonight, the Aurors would quickly start to round up all the suspected Death Eaters and their known associates and interrogate them. He couldn't run the risk of losing the boy now. Not after losing Lily tonight.

With Harrison resting on the counter beside him, Snape stood and silently moved behind her. His fingers curled around his wand as he cast a nonverbal spell towards her. As soon as her knees buckled and she pitched towards the floor, he stepped up and grabbed her from behind. She was limp now in his arms, her head lulled to the side. Gently, he placed her upright against a nearby wall.

" _Obliviate,_ " he murmured, removing all trace of the past few hours from her mind. Once he was satisfied that she wouldn't be able to recall or have anyone able to recover said memories and thoughts, he cast another spell, an Unforgivable this time. " _Imperio,"_ he mouthed before he spoke firmly. "You will go downstairs and assist Syra, acting as if nothing happened once I end this spell. You will smile but ignore any mention of a man and child in your office tonight. You will not be curious and attempt to figure out who it was because you will not care. Is this understood?"

"Yes," Narcissa replied blankly, her eyes unfocused.

He then ended his spell and quickly scooped up young Harrison before he silently Disapparated both of them far from St. Mungo's. The two reappeared on the outskirts of a large town a moment later. Snape drew in a sharp breath, his lungs filling with the familiar dirty air instantly. While it was hardly ideal in his mind, this was the only other place he could go now, since Narcissa would be unable to help with the boy when he needed it.

As he continued towards the small cottage up ahead, he found himself dreading his current actions even more. How could he even consider coming here? He quickly pushed those thoughts away, though, and walked up the dirt path towards the front door. There was a light on inside, he noted dryly as he continued. There went the idea of nobody being home. Drawing in a slow breath then in order to calm himself, he raised his free hand and knocked against the battered black door. Here went nothing.


	5. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I sincerely apologize for such a long wait for this chapter. I've been working on all of my fics whenever I have free time, but like I've said before-real life is getting in the way big time and the constant wretched severe storms where I live haven't helped matters. I will never abandon any of my fics. That is a promise I made long ago to myself and to all of you wonderful readers, and it's a promise that I intend to keep. So, I ask that you please be patient with me. Secondly, I regret that this chapter is so short, but I felt like I had to end it here before all of you had to wait another month or so before an update. Thank you and enjoy.

After having Disapparated from his past self's rooms, Severus reappeared in the dark and deserted Headmaster's office. He briefly glanced at the portraits and found that they were either empty or sleeping, which put him slightly at ease. Calmly walking towards the ornate desk, he drew his wand. Somewhere in this room were the answers he needed. He just had to find them before he was caught.

Severus searched high and low throughout the massive office for the next hour. Standing on the steps of the right curved staircase that led up to the second floor, he plucked _Secrets of the Darkest Art_ from the third bookshelf from the bottom and slipped it into one of his magical expanding robe pockets. He then swept down the stairs towards the desk, his eyes quickly passing over each item atop of it. Not finding what he was looking for there, he frowned and headed towards a large cabinet. Opening the cabinet doors revealed hundreds of various vials in all shapes and sizes. Soft light reflected off the glass and onto his face, as his eyes passed over each vial. He finally found what he was looking for several minutes later and removed a large vial of a clear liquid from the very back of the cabinet, pocketing the vial as well before he moved onto the next location.

At the sudden sound of the moving spiral staircase that led to the study, Severus tensed for a brief second before he quickly hid in the dark alcove behind the desk. His wand easily slipped into his hand, at the ready. When the door then opened, he inhaled silently, his nostrils flaring slightly. An intense surge of pure hatred rushed through his veins instantly. With a tightly clenched jaw, he glared at the white haired wizard, who was calmly walking across the room without a care in the world.

Only three years had passed by in his timeline since he had learned the terrible truth. For years Dumbledore had lied and had hid that all of Severus's hard work and sacrifices over the years weren't so Harry could be safe. No, it was all so Harry could sacrifice himself for the Greater Good in the end. That the boy he had risked his life for—the boy he had been manipulated into caring for all those years—the boy who was his last connection to Lily—the boy who was as much of a victim as Severus himself—all of it—all the pain, all the tears, all the blood, all the stains to his soul, was so that the boy would choose death and sacrifice himself in order to destroy the last Horcrux.

Oh, sure. It was later learned of course, that the boy somehow defeated the odds yet again, but still—Severus had nearly failed in his sworn vow to Lily, which was something he couldn't and wouldn't have been able to live with if the boy had stayed dead. But it wasn't just that there was a chance that all of his sacrifices were for nothing that upset him, even though it was a very big reason for his hatred of Dumbledore now. No, it was how callous Dumbledore was about all of it. As if the boy's survival didn't matter in the slightest, as long as the boy lived long enough to kill the Dark Lord once and for all. As if the stains that Severus had worked so hard to remove from his damaged soul didn't matter, as long as he kept the boy alive until the end. None of that mattered. All that mattered was making sure that the Dark Lord was no longer Dumbledore's highly visible mistake for all to see. For if the Dark Lord was no more, then it'd be harder for anyone to learn the truth—that it had been Albus Dumbledore who had brought the monster to the Wizarding World and set him loose. If it had not been for that meddling bastard, Severus could have lived a much better life than the one he had been dealt. Hell, a lot of people could have lived then.

Familiar faces then flashed behind his eyes. Lily, the beautiful woman he loved whom he had accidentally sentenced to death. Potter—James that was—the arrogant toerag whom he had also killed that night. Black—the arse that he was, who had lived years in exile for a betrayal and crime he hadn't committed. Lupin, the tortured soul who died without a chance to watch his son grow up. Tonks, the spunky witch who always did the right thing. Regulus, the brave coward who tried to right his wrong and died for it. Fred, the young man whose death was senseless and so devastating to all that knew him. So many deaths—so many souls—so much blood—all of it was on Dumbledore's hands. And all of it was hidden by the wizard's charm he had everyone under.

" _No!" squealed a voice from the past. "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"_

Unable to hold back his anger any longer, Severus slashed his wand sharply in the darkness at the happily distracted man. His spell slammed hard against Dumbledore without warning, sending the man flying back against a bookcase. Books and broken wood then rained down all around the injured white haired wizard as he lay there, unmoving.

Remaining hidden in his hiding spot for a few extra minutes, Severus waited to see what would happen next with the Shield Charm on the tip of his tongue at the ready. He knew he'd only have a half a second to cast it in time if Dumbledore responded. However, at the sound of the older man's low pain filled groan and his bleeding head lolling to the side, Severus advanced like a hunter to his prey. There would be no more victims this time. No more lambs being led to slaughter. It would end now.

Severus flicked his wand at Dumbledore once more, causing thick ropes to encircle the older man instantly and tie him up. Once he was satisfied the known-powerful wizard was properly subdued, he slowly lowered his wand to his side and knelt down in front of a Dumbledore a moment later. He then roughly grabbed the older man's chin and forced him to look upwards. When his cold black eyes met Dumbledore's dull blue, he drew in a slow, calming breath and attacked.

With a nonverbal _Legilimens_ , Severus sent a series of his own memories to Dumbledore's mind, forcing the older wizard to view them. He wanted the man to see the destruction he had caused. He wanted him to feel the heart-wrenching pain he had inflicted upon so many. But above all, he wanted Dumbledore to witness the sacrifices the old fool had said were necessary for the Greater Good.

_Cedric Diggory, the tall and handsome Hufflepuff boy with this whole life ahead of him, lay dead on the grass, the boy's father howling wildly above him as spectators in the large arena looked on in sheer horror . . ._

_Charity Burbage, the outspoken Muggle Studies professor, lay dead atop of a polished table where Death Eaters and the Dark Lord sat impassively as she was devoured by Nagini . . ._

_Alastor Moody, the always fierce and paranoid Auror, lay dead in a field, his body badly mangled from the fall as a large group of Death Eaters zoomed overhead of him . . ._

_Dobby, the troublesome free house elf, lay dead in the sand as Harry cried over its tiny body . . ._

_Fred Weasley, the twin who was always trying to get a laugh, lay dead in a corridor, surrounded by rubble as his brothers screamed his name for the last time . . ._

_Dora Tonks and Remus Lupin, the unlikely lovers, lay dead side-by-side with one another as more curses flew past without notice of them . . ._

_Colin Creevey, the annoying young Gryffindor, lay dead upon the blood-stained grounds of Hogwarts, surrounded by so many others . . ._

_Image after image of even more dead flashed in Dumbledore's mind, the dead's bodies resting wherever they died. It was as if he was forcing Dumbledore to watch a slideshow that was on continuous repeat. Cedric, Charity, Alastor, Dobby, Fred, Dora, Remus, Colin, and all the others just kept flashing. The screams of loved ones filled the air as once more it repeated. He kept this up, sending those images to Dumbledore for several more minutes before he then showed Amos Diggory sobbing over his son's body, the Weasley family openly weeping over Fred, the orphaned Teddy Lupin crying for his dead parents in his grandmother's arms, the devastated Dennis Creevey staring blankly out at nothing as his brother's head rested in his lap._

_Harry's face then swirled about the darkness before he appeared as well. The bloodied and bruised young man looked positively alone as he sat far from the relieved and cheering survivors. Harry's glassy green eyes closed before he ran a hand through his messy black hair and then covered his face. His shoulders shook, the silent tears falling from his eyes as he cried. The boy's world had shattered into so many pieces that it was unknown if it could ever be repaired._

_An image of Severus himself then appeared. With the woman who would later become his wife sitting by his bedside, he lay on a cot at St. Mungo's with his neck wrapped in thick gauze and his normally white collar soaked with his blood. Darkness then settled in as Severus slowly pulled himself out of Dumbledore's mind._

He blinked once before he stared numbly at Dumbledore. Instantly recognizing the horrified look on the older wizard's tortured face, Severus felt something wash over him. He couldn't describe what emotion it was, but there was a sense of definite finality to it.

"That is what we all gave up for your supposed Greater Good," Severus said harshly, his voice low and rough. "That is what we _all_ sacrificed." He then stood up, taking several steps back from Dumbledore. His hard eyes rested once more on the frail elderly wizard. "You're welcome," he spat before he turned on his heel and Disapparated away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, young Severus reads that letter. :D


	6. Blast from the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't kill me, loves. I was all on target to include the letter that you're all dying for in this chapter when, well, this happened and the bunny decided it'd be better for the next section. Also, my lovely beta, DaughterOfAres, agreed with that bunny and said this was the most perfect place to end this chapter. So, blame the bunny and DaughterOfAres.

As the twenty-one-year-old man stood outside the battered black door with young Harrison in his arms, Snape quickly found himself realizing why being at this very cottage was such a bad idea. The last time he had seen _him_ was when he was ten years old, and that certainly hadn't been a happy memory that day. Though, he rarely could recall a time in his childhood where he was truly happy without Lily being around. His heart briefly ached at his thinking of her. How could it be possible, after all that had happened, that he'd move on from the beautiful redhead he had given his soul to? What would change?

Sighing quietly, Snape knocked against the door once more and shifted his weight slightly. Maybe the man wasn't home. Or perhaps he had the wrong address, he thought momentarily. That was possible after all, since all his information had come from a directory he had run across by chance. Sensing that he was making the young child just as edgy, he swallowed back his nervousness and forced himself to remain standing in front of the closed door like an idiot, unable to leave his spot.

As time passed by slowly, the childhood memories quickly bubbled up to the surface again. This time, he didn't even attempt to fight it. After all, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do as he waited for the bastard to get off his fat arse and answer the door.

_The scene rapidly faded from darkness to reveal the sitting room of the neglected Snape home. A thin, sour-faced woman—his mother—appeared out of the fading darkness with the scowl that was always on her face these days._

" _I can't believe you, Tobias!" hissed Snape's mother, glaring at her husband. "One thing. That's all I asked for. One damn thing! And you couldn't even manage that!"_

_The hook-nosed, blue-eyed, shaggy brown-haired man glared back at his wife murderously. "Oh, well, 'scuse me, Princess Eileen!" Snape's father drawled with dripping venom in his voice, as his hands were raised above his head. "Yer lowly peasant of a husband forgot the milk. Off with my head then clearly."_

" _I can do without your sarcasm, Tobias Avery!"_

_His father scoffed, shaking his head. "Only my mother gets to call me that, and ya ain't her, El."_

" _No?" His mother raised a challenging eyebrow. "Sure feels like it some days."_

" _Hardy-har. Yer hilarious. Truly." His father then rolled his eyes and scuffed the floor with his boot. He muttered something low and under his breath then before he shook his head again. "It's fuckin' milk, El. Nothin' for ya to go all batshit crazy over. I'll get some tomorrow after work. God." Turning away from his wife, he headed towards the ratty old armchair across the room._

" _Like I haven't heard that all damn week," Snape's mother snidely remarked._

" _I've been busy, Eileen!"_

" _Yeah, I know. You've been busy drinking with the guys again," she said through clenched teeth before she pointedly turned away from her husband with crossed arms. "I ask you to do one thing for us, one simple thing, and you can't even manage that without disappointing us."_

" _That's me! The big ol' disappointment in yer life," growled Snape's father, throwing his hands up into the air as he sat in his chair. "Honestly. It's one thing after another with ya. Do this. Do that. Blah, blah, blah. That's all ya do anymore. Bitch about me." His voice rose higher then. "It's fuckin' milk, El! Milk! No one has ever died over not havin' it."_

_Her nostrils flared as her eyes darkened instantly. "It's not about the damn milk, you jackarse! It's about you, once again, letting us down."_

" _Fine! Then I'll get the damn milk!" Tobias yelled, hopping up mad out of his chair. "Happy now, ya damn harpy?!"_

" _Of course not!" she screamed back, glaring daggers at her husband. "I haven't been happy since our son was born!"_

_The ten-year-old Snape, who had been standing in the doorway throughout his parents' entire fight, whirled around instantly at hearing his mother's words and fled to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. When he heard the quiet knock on his door a few moments later, the young boy turned his back and curled up in his bed under the covers, desperately wishing he was anywhere but there. All his parents ever did anymore was fight. Even Lily had started to notice and was asking him about it every day they saw each other nowadays, something he dreaded horribly._

" _Son?" his father quietly said, gently knocking against the door._

_The little boy sniffled under the covers, swiping angrily at the traitorous tears that splashed his cheeks. He was being stupid, and he knew it. Deep down in his heart, he knew that his mother didn't mean it the way it sounded. She told him every night how much she loved her little boy and how glad she was to have him in her life. Yet, the sting of her anger-filled words remained._

_When he felt his father's hand on his shoulder, he squeezed his eyes even tighter, wishing all this was a horrible nightmare that he could wake up from. He didn't want his dad to leave again. Not on the eve of his tenth birthday at least. Couldn't his mum kick his dad out some other day instead?_

_His father gently pulled the covers back from Severus's head and sighed softly. Rubbing the boy's back tenderly a few moments afterwards, his father gave him a soft somber smile._

" _Hey, it's okay, lad," his father quietly said. "It ain't the end. Just the beginning, you know?"_

" _But you're going away again," little Severus whispered. He hated these nights most especially, because he was always afraid that one day his father wouldn't come back._

" _Just 'til the morning, my little Prince." The ten-year-old instantly wrinkled his nose up at that, which caused his father to chuckle quietly. "Now, listen to me. Yer mum didn't mean that just now. She's just got a stick up her arse about something, and, well, we both know it's best for me to go elsewhere for the night, don't we, Severus?" The young boy reluctantly nodded. His father then gently leaned forward and kissed his son's forehead, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately. "I'll be here first thing tomorrow mornin', and then we can celebrate yer birthday properly."_

_The little boy's eyes lit up quickly. "You promise?"_

_His father held out a pinkie with his familiar charming smirk. "I pinkie promise, Severus."_

The twenty-one-year-old Snape closed his eyes instantly, hearing his father's long ago promise still echoing in his mind. This was a mistake. Drawing in a slow breath, he turned away with Harrison and headed back down the sidewalk away from the door. Like his mother had said long ago, all his father would do is let them down again.

"Severus?" a low voice asked behind him. "That you, son?"

A part of Snape wanted to keep walking, but the part in control forced him to stop in mid step for half a moment. His eyes slowly dropped to Harrison, who was staring up at him curiously.

"I shouldn't have come here," Snape quietly said, refusing to turn around.

"Yet ya did," Tobias replied just as equally soft as Snape had, his blue eyes flicking down to the small child in Snape's arms. "Come on inside, son. I'll put a spot of tea on for ya."

Snape's nostrils flared briefly before he whirled around with Harrison and glared at his father.

"Don't act like everything's fine!" he shouted at Tobias. "Like we're all close with one another. We both know better than that."

"Do we?" Tobias quietly said with a shrug. He then ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair and sighed when Snape didn't respond. "Ya don't know the whole story, Severus."

"I know enough, _Dad_ ," he snapped.

His father scoffed instantly and rolled his eyes. "Do ya now? Well, go on then. What do ya know exactly? Hmm?"

The young man stared his father down. Years of pent-up anger rushed to the forefront of his mind. Now was his chance to get out all the hurt, all the anger, all the disappointment his father had caused. This was his one chance in a lifetime, and he couldn't let it go to waste. Not this time.

"I know that you broke a promise to your son, to _me_!" He then took several threatening steps closer towards his father. "I know that you abandoned your wife and child, tossed us aside like yesterday's news!"

Tobias instantly held up a finger, his eyes glistening in anger. "Now, you just wait one minute, young man!" he growled. "I may be a lot of things, but I never tossed either of you aside like that."

"You abandoned us! Abandoned ME on my tenth birthday!"

"Ya ever think that maybe it wasn't my choice, Severus!" Tobias yelled back.

The young man clenched his jaw tightly but took one step back from his father. Had he ever considered that others might have played a role in his father abandoning them on his birthday? Yeah, he'd admit, that it had crossed his mind once or twice over the years. However, he had never seriously considered it, because that scenario had always seemed so improbable. After all, why would anyone keep Tobias from his family? It didn't make sense.

Snape shook his head a moment later. He needed to clear his mind and think. Turning back around, he continued down the long sidewalk towards the cobblestone street of Spinner's End.

"Where are you gonna go? Yer mum's?" Snape kept walking away from his father. "We both know ya haven't been there since Roger's been in her life."

He stopped instantly and whirled back around. He could sense that he was likely making poor Harrison sick with all the stopping and going, but, damn it, he couldn't help it.

"Excuse me?" Snape snarled, glaring at the older man.

"Ya heard me just fine," Tobias replied. "Ya ain't gonna go to yer mum's, and we both know it."

Snape clenched his teeth once more and growled, "You don't know me."

"And you don't know me either, son," Tobias stated firmly, holding his son's intense glare. "So, come inside and let's get to know one another again. Before it's too late for that."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

His father sighed quietly, closing his eyes as his shoulders slumped. The man clearly didn't want to fight anymore. All the previous anger had been replaced by fatigue and regret.

"We both know, son, that those lights off in the distance ain't the result of some fool playin' around with fireworks." A loud boom in the distance then echoed around them followed by another flash of light. A flash of green light, Snape noted a moment later with uneasy apprehension. His father was unfortunately right. There was no way those lights were fireworks. No, it had to be the result of curses and the like. "Please, son. Let me help ya, and, if yer willing to listen, I'll explain all of it." His father's blue eyes then darted off to the distant lights before they fell on him again. "Just give me a chance."

Snape glanced off then at the greenish snake-like smoke rising high above the old mill, his gut contracting at the realizations that other Death Eaters were in Cokeworth with him. He held Harrison closer to him before he slowly dipped his head forward in acceptance. Silently, he followed his father into the cottage, wondering silently what he had just gotten himself into.

Barely noticing the door closing behind them, Snape headed further into the unknown room towards a shelf above the lit fireplace. Surprise quickly passed over his features as he found himself staring at a dozen-or-so old photos from his childhood. His parents' wedding photo was prominently displayed right next to a photo of his parents holding his baby self in their arms for a family photo.

"I'll just get that tea for ya, then, and something for the lad, too," Tobias quietly mumbled as he walked past into a nearby room.

It wasn't until he felt Harrison start to fuss in his arms that he replied his thanks quietly. Turning away reluctantly from the photos soon after, he walked over to a nearby sofa and sat down, setting Harrison beside him. His eyes, however, quickly returned to the photographs. Why would his father have those pictures on his mantelpiece? It didn't make sense.

Several minutes passed by silently as Snape waited. With his attention elsewhere, he didn't notice that the toddler next to him was currently sucking on his robes until Harrison drooled on Snape's hand. The young man instantly made a sound of disgust and pulled his hand back. What was it with this child that he had to put everything in his damn mouth? Of course this action only caused the poor toddler to wail at the loss. Snape groaned quietly and hung his head moments afterwards.

Tobias softly chuckled as he reentered the room with a small glass and bowl in hand. "Poor thing's teething." He flashed a smile towards Snape. "Not to worry, though, son. This should do the trick. Applesauce always worked with you after all."

Snape blinked in surprise, feeling his initial anger rapidly dissipating again. How was it possible that the man who had abandoned his wife and child at a drop of a hat like they were nothing one day could still remember something as insignificant as that?

"What?" Tobias asked, staring at him in confusion.

So many questions rushed through Snape's mind, then. From experience he knew that children, especially younger ones, tended to misunderstand things constantly, and unfortunately he had been young at the time his father abandoned them. But he just could not wrap his head around it now. He had been so certain for years that his father was a heartless son of a bitch who didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. However, sitting before the man now and seeing that the man was actually nothing like that—it only led Snape to question everything he had thought he knew. Was it possible that he had been wrong all this time? A voice in the back of his mind screamed 'No!' emphatically. The man _had_ abandoned his wife and child, left them to the wolves in fact. That was not something a good father did, a good man did.

Snape shook his head, though, and grabbed the offered spoon and bowl of applesauce. Silently, he held the spoon out to Harrison, who briefly quieted down before he started wailing again. When Tobias instantly started to chuckle loudly, Snape frowned and glanced at his father.

"What?"

"Nothing," Tobias said through chuckles, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Snape turned back and tried to ignore his annoyance with the man. "Go on. Take the spoon. It's okay." With each of Tobias's laughs behind him, Snape felt his jaw clench even tighter. Just what the hell did the man find so funny? The boy was screaming like a damn banshee. "Take the spoon, Harrison," Snape repeated firmly. However, the toddler only continued to scream bloody murder at him. Finally, losing his patience with the boy, he gently grabbed Harrison's little hands that had been flailing in the air and curled them around the spoon. "There. Now, put it in your mouth and eat. You'll feel better then." The spoon promptly clattered onto Harrison's lap, leaving a wet gooey mess. Snape sighed and closed his eyes, realizing what his father had been laughing about. The boy was too young to be holding a spoon yet. He likely still was helped. Cleaning the spoon off, he scooped up some more applesauce from the bowl before he quickly yet carefully fed Harrison the gooey food.

"Take it that the lad's mum was in charge of feeding time, huh, Severus?"

Snape felt the instant punch to his gut at the reference to Lily, but he pushed past his emotions. "Actually, I just recently . . . discovered that" he drew in a sharp breath "I'm a father."

"What do ya mean, 'Just recently discovered?" his father asked slowly, clearly skeptical.

The lie tasted horribly in his mouth as he said it. "He's the result of an, uh, encounter I had with a . . ." he cleared his throat, resisting the urge to tug on his collar as he suddenly felt hot "courtesan."

"What?!" Tobias yelled.

Unable to hold back his temper, he snapped back at his father, "Oh, like you have any grounds to be upset considering."

"Just what the hell does that mean?" Tobias growled, glaring back at him.

"You walked out on us, Dad!"

"No."

"Yes! You walked out on us. Walked out on me." Snape scoffed, shaking his head. "You couldn't do it on any other day. No, you had to do it on my tenth birthday. After you promised you would be there."

"Now, you listen here, Severus—"

"No. You listen. You walked out on us. You left Mum to pick up the pieces. To fix your mistake yet again. You left her with a ten-year-old boy who was devastated because his father broke yet another promise of his. You left us there to rot, Dad! Don't deny it. You, like the coward you are, walked out and left your wife and child to fend for themselves. You didn't give a damn about us. So don't start acting like you do now!"

Tobias took several steps back, the anger vanishing from his face and being replaced by sheer horror. "Is that what ya thought? That I didn't give a damn about ya two?"

"Oh, please," Snape drawled, rolling his eyes.

"No. Listen to me, Severus," Tobias pleaded, his body screaming that he needed his son to listen as if his life depended on it. "I wrote yer mum every day. I sent money after—after it was done. I went to the old house even to see her, but she had already moved in with Roger by that time, I guess. I tried to find you as well, but I couldn't." His father's eyes softened. "Son, ya have to believe me. If I could've, I'd have been there. I'm sorry that I wasn't, and I know that nothing I do now will make up for it, but please . . . believe me when I say that I didn't walk out willingly on you."

Snape glanced at Harrison, avoiding his father's pain-filled blue eyes. He didn't want to believe the man's lies anymore. Yet he knew that deep down there was a reason he had come here and sought the man out. If he were honest with himself, he'd say it was because all of his memories of his father before the man left were somewhat good. When his parents weren't arguing, that was.

"Then, where were you?" Snape asked quietly, slowly glancing back at his father.

"I can't answer that," Tobias replied barely above a whisper.

Quickly, Snape grabbed Harrison and moved to stand up. "Then we have nothing more to discuss," he spat out, wondering why he had come in the first place.

"No. Wait. Please, Severus!" Tobias begged once more. "Just wait."

Snape paused for half a moment, rubbing Harrison's back gently.

"I can't tell ya tonight because, well, shit, son, it's the first time I seen ya in years."

"And who's to blame for that, Dad?"

"Just give me a day, okay? Just until morning and then I'll tell ya everything ya wanna know."

"I gave you until morning that day as well," Snape reminded sharply.

"I can't tell ya everything. Not tonight. Not without you walking out that door with the lad and hating me even more."

Snape bit his cheek to keep his sharp tongue quiet, letting his curiosity win temporarily.

"I'll tell you everything you wanna know tomorrow. I will. Just give me until morning."

"Why? Why do you need until the morning to tell me the truth?"

"Because the truth is worse than what you've thought all these years, son." Tobias met his son's eyes. "Please believe me when I say that I didn't willingly abandon you. I meant my promise, Severus. I meant every damn word of it. Hell, I'll even take a damn lie detector if ya want."

Snape held his father's blue eyes for several moments. Every part of his father screamed that the man was telling the truth. Whether that was the truth his father believed or it was the actual truth was anyone's guess at this point. There was strong evidence for both theories after all. Finally, unable to find anything that pointed him to the conclusion his father was lying, he bowed his head and closed his eyes in acceptance. He would give Tobias until the morning. For now at least.

"Thank you, son."


	7. Paradoxical Headaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The italics are going to be flashbacks just so you know. Enjoy.

Reappearing in the Shrieking Shack, Severus instantly drew in a sharp breath at the sight before him, as a chill swept down his spine. There before him was the exact spot he had lay dying two years ago. He closed his eyes, swallowing back the turbulent emotions. That day all his regrets, all his hopes and dreams reared their way to the forefront of his mind and forced him to recognize the startling revelation of how he had completely wasted his second chance.

Up until that point, he had lived his entire life solely for Lily, for making things right with her in order to be with her finally. His happiness and life hadn't mattered in his mind until that critical moment. Then, like a light turning on, he saw the truth he had fought so hard against since her murder—the woman he had spent his lifetime loving had never, nor would ever, reciprocate those feelings. Not only because she was dead obviously, but because she had made her choice long ago, and it wasn't him.

Though, it wasn't until a week after the Final Battle that he finally gained his much needed closure and put the matter finally to rest. While he had been recovering at St. Mungo's from his severe wounds, Minerva had been cleaning out the ruined Headmaster's office, only to come across accidentally a letter with his name on it buried in the massive rubble. Having been able to barely stay awake for more than an hour at a time, he forced himself to read that letter, to soak in each word Lily had penned for him. The minute he finished that letter, though, all traces of his perfect Lily were obliterated from his mind. However, he truthfully had no inclination to speak about that letter in detail ever again. Soon enough his past self would read it, and all would be revealed.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Severus could feel his insides clench even tighter as another wave of memories assaulted him. This time his mind concentrated on the memory instead of his distracting thoughts. The memory quickly overpowered him, forcing him to recall those painful moments.

_Pain. Unbearable pain tore through him. He could feel the blood seeping freely past his trembling fingers that were losing the battle of stopping the profuse bleeding from his neck. His death seemed to be just like his life was, long and painful . . . and alone. He fought against the approaching darkness bravely, not ready yet to let go of life. He had to know. He just had to know if that damn boy he had spent so much of his energy with keeping safe, so much of his time with preparing, so much of his broken heart aching by forcing himself be near and remind him of his beautiful Lily—he had to know if the boy lived._

_And then there was a flash of familiar green. He yanked the blur closer immediately, knowing in the back of his mind that it was the boy who was kneeling before him, not Lily. He had to let the boy know, know the truth for once. So much of his time spent with the boy over the years was trying to get the damn child to think and see the bigger picture._

_Only for Harry would he open himself up in that manner and give the boy his memories. Only for Harry would he allow himself to be so vulnerable. Only for Harry, the boy who might have been his son once. Only for Harry he would do all this, because it was only because of Harry that he realized that he, the Dark Lord, and Harry had one thing in common—they were neglected boys who called Hogwarts 'home' while seeking second chances at life. And they all, so far, had failed. He would not let that poor boy fail . . . not this time. He'd give the boy a better chance. So, in that moment, he gave all his knowledge, all his insight, all his everything to the boy . . . so for once there would be a success._

_However, as Severus did this, the darkness settled around him. He silently pleaded for anyone out there to help but no reply came. It was then he knew. He would not live to see if the boy prospered. He would not live to see if darkness was finally vanquished for good. He would not live to see any dawn rising over Hogwarts, bathing it in its rich warmth. He would not live. For he had failed. Again. Darkness had won, and he had let it._

_He drifted off into the black nothingness of death. It was over. And he had lost._

" _Oh, Headmaster," chided a soft, amused voice in the darkness. "You only lose if you refuse to ask for help." A red-haired woman in an airy flowing dress_ _slowly appeared out of the blackness then with a faint smile on her lips. "Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. Remember?"_

_It was chilling to hear Dumbledore's words spoken from her lips._

" _Lily?" Severus breathed, barely believing his own eyes._

_The woman laughed quietly, her vibrant green eyes sparkling radiantly in the calming white light that surrounded her. "No, Headmaster. I'm afraid I must disappoint you." She sighed softly, giving him a sad, knowing smile. "I admit, though, I've taken her likeness in order to speak with you. It's quite frankly easier for the both of us this way."_

_Easier to use the image of a woman he loved more than anything? Preposterous. He wondered how . . . it, whatever the thing was that stood before him now, could think that._

" _Well, I could always use my other form, if you'd rather," the woman looking like Lily replied with a shrug. In a blink of an eye, she morphed into a puffy cloud-like substance floating in front of him. Red, green, blue, and yellow beams of light shone from pockets in the object every now and then, like sunbeams shining through the clouds. "However, my creators always thought this form would be unsettling for the others," a voice said from the colorfully-lit cloud._

_He stared at the thing in disbelief, wondering if his afterlife was going to be yet another lifetime of torture for him._

" _What are you?" he finally asked, curiosity winning out._

" _The result of combined magic from the four most powerful witches and wizards of their age," the cloud's voice answered instantly. "I believe you commonly refer to them as Hogwarts's Founders."_

" _What?" This thing was from the Founders' Age?_

_Laughter slowly filtered out of the colorfully-lit cloud. "Your confusion is understandable. You did not become headmaster in the usual manner." Which was the understatement of the year. "So, you do not have the luxury the others before you had. No matter, though. You'll comprehend soon enough."_

" _Is that right?" he mumbled under his breath._

" _As you well know, Muggles were leading a worldwide crusade against witches and wizards at the time. This action resulted in my creators constructing Hogwarts, an institution where young minds could finally learn to control their magic properly and gain a place of safety. Towards the end of constructing Hogwarts when the world was looking exceptionally dark, my creators decided it was in the best interest of the school to include a method that future leaders of the school could call on in times of need, i.e. me. Thus, the quaint 'Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it' was born." A soft laugh then echoed. "Since I know you enjoy conciseness more than anything, I'll speed this explanation up. Awry spells that hit the castle's walls rejuvenate me by reactivating the spell my creators used in my creation. With each bit of magic and more portraits added, I strengthened and grew, learning things my creators had not even dreamed of then. It was much like a child becoming an adult. Occasionally, I'd make my presence known with the headmasters and headmistresses, taking a form that he or she found most calming and speaking with them to offer any insight in times of need. All of this—every bit of it—is a result of their powerful magic and their love for the future children that would pass through our halls."_

_Severus rubbed at his neck, closing his eyes briefly. He didn't know what to think anymore._

" _I regret that I did not show myself to you earlier, but I assumed my appearance would only cause a distraction that we both know would have been disastrous. Not to mention that of all the others, you are likely are the most stubborn of them."_

_Severus couldn't help but snort at that, reminded of something his mother had said long ago._

" _Yet here we are," the cloud's voice happily declared. "You've finally asked for my help, so help I shall give you."_

_The traditional colors of the four Houses started to glow brighter then, filtering further out of the cloud and bathing him in the warm lights. Before the heavy darkness lifted and he was carried away, though, he saw next to the colorful cloud a flickered image of a large floating crystal in the middle of an unfamiliar room. Reflected on this pristine crystal's surface was an image of him smiling._

" _Because something tells me, Headmaster, that your story isn't quite finished just yet."_

Quickly coming back to himself then, Severus sighed, shaking his head to remove all remnants left behind. That had been the first and last time he had ever seen the cloud of Hogwarts, as he had later named it. There had been others who swore some person of their choosing came to them during the Final Battle to save them, he knew, but as far as he himself had learned, he was the only one, past or present, who saw its true form. On his last day ever at Hogwarts, two days after the Final Battle, he called out for the cloud to reappear in order to ask it how it had saved him from certain death, but he received no word or even acknowledgement from it.

Rubbing at his tired eyes, Severus sighed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor across from where he had nearly died. It was eerie to be there in the Shrieking Shack, knowing what he knew. However, it was the only place he could think of that was close enough to Hogwarts and deserted with no chance of anyone stumbling across him.

Pulling the leather-bound _Secrets of the Darkest Arts_ out of his pocket, Severus pushed back his uneasiness and opened to the first page. His eyes quickly moved over the words, soaking in every word and detail as he read the dark book. Several times he paused to let his head fall back against the wall and closed his eyes for a few minutes to recall happier times in order to protect himself from the darkness attempting to creep into him. However, as soon as he felt centered again, he trudged onward and continued reading.

" _You know it's funny, Severus," a female voice suddenly announced._

_He snorted softly, glancing over at her as she sat at the beautiful mahogany desk working tirelessly on her research for yet another night. His lip curled upwards slightly into a half-smile as he waited for her to continue, watching her patiently. He loved these moments more than anything._

" _I've been sitting here for, what, an hour possibly?"_

" _Three actually," he quietly corrected, leaving off the fifty-five minutes that he had been counting silently in his head._

_She laughed and rolled her eyes in response. "Fine. Three hours I've been here, and I've yet to add anything to this stupid thing tonight." She motioned towards her opened journal filled with her elegant cursive._

" _Perhaps we should retire for the night, then?" he suggested, hoping it sounded offhandedly and not at all like he was looking forward immensely to such a thing._

" _Maybe later," she replied, her attention returning back to her journal. Her quill quickly moved ferociously over the page as she jotted down her sudden thought._

_He sighed inwardly, trying to ignore his pang of disappointment. He supposed that he deserved that feeling nowadays, considering he had let another woman in after swearing them off for so long. However, she wasn't just another woman, though. No. She was his wife. The mother of his— He stopped in mid-thought instantly and frowned as he noticed his wife rubbing her swollen abdomen again. She had been doing that a lot lately._

" _Are you well?" he asked as tactfully as he could manage while feeling the overwhelming dread starting to settle in._

" _Hmm?" She quickly turned her head to look at him before her eyes narrowed in confusion._

" _I asked if you are well," he calmly repeated._

_She shrugged and shook her head. "I'm fine. Maybe a little sore from sitting for three hours, but I'll live. Why?"_

" _You keep rubbing your abdomen as if you're in pain."_

" _Do I?" She then laughed. "A habit, I suppose. But you're right." Her smile widened, causing her eyes to light up even more. "Like always, I know." Pushing herself up, she paused for half a moment to blow out the candle prior to walking towards him. He quickly stood up to join her, and together they headed to their bedroom._

_Once he was satisfied his wife was comfortable and content in his arms in their bed, he felt himself relax slightly, chastising himself brutally for worrying and making a fool of himself in the first place. He was absolutely ridiculous nowadays. A mother hen, Minerva had called him just the other day. But Poppy and Minerva both said his overprotective behavior around his wife was to be expected considering that he was going to be a father while still learning to be a husband as well._

" _May I ask what it was you were thinking about tonight, if not your research?" he asked finally, unable to hold the question back any longer. He felt her laugh silently against him before she replied._

" _It's rather stupid, I admit, but I was thinking of the ramifications if someone returned to the past and just, well, used a well-placed Killing Curse on Riddle before he became the Dark Lord."_

_His brow raised slightly before he glanced down at her. "I see."_

_She shrugged, running her fingers tenderly over his left forearm where the Dark Mark had been. "Yeah. It wouldn't work, though." She sighed quietly and shook her head. "Even if the formula did work and someone could return to the past, by returning to the past in the first place, that person would have then already altered the original timeline and caused a bunch of unknown variables to come into play."_

" _Ah," he said quietly, unsure of what else to say. Her research, even with her help sometimes, sounded way too complicated for his liking and truthfully gave him a bit of a headache at times._

" _Disregarding the fact that time is a fluid thing for the most part, unless the future person had a list that stated where Riddle was on such and such day and knew beforehand what day he had returned to, there'd be no telling where Riddle was on a specific day. So, that'd be problem number one. Finding Riddle. Problem two is making sure that you don't disrupt the timeline in such a way that makes it so you aren't born or die before you return from the future or whatever."_

" _A temporal paradox," he stated proudly, thankful that he had been forced to watch_ Star Trek _so many times in his childhood._

" _Precisely. Problem three is, well, if you get caught after killing Riddle, you risk further destabilizing the timeline even more. Let's face it. There'd be two of you, and the Ministry would likely figure it out eventually."_

" _And problem four?" he asked, knowing that there was another one._

" _Problem four is that everything I've found thus far in my research is that the universe and timelines have a habit of balancing themselves out. If you change things like killing Riddle before he becomes the Dark Lord, another person will become just as bad. The old 'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction' line. So, by doing great good, it may—probably—cause bad things to happen as well."_

_He frowned but chose not to argue. Temporal paradoxes and the like were her thing. Potions and spells were his, which he was grateful for every day. Her stuff was just—it was all migraine inducing in his mind. If she didn't love it so much, and if he didn't love her so much, he'd admit that he wouldn't even bother to give her an ear to listen to when time travel was involved._


	8. Letting Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to include more of Tobias's mysterious background, but I've decided to save that so this chapter doesn't get too bogged down. As always, enjoy.

Holding a sleepy Harrison against his left shoulder, Snape silently followed his father through the small limestone cottage. As they walked down the darkened hallway, he glanced at either side of him, noting a few cheap paintings on the walls and the chipped paint on the doors. It wasn't long after that his father stopped at one of these doors and slowly opened it.

"It ain't much, I know," Tobias quietly said with a shrug. "Haven't had a lot of visitors actually."

Or any visitors, Snape thought silently as he looked around the sparsely furnished room. A bed, credenza, and small writing desk with folded-up chair were the only items in there. "It'll do. Thank you." He caught his father's slight hesitation then, as if the man wanted to pat him on the back or something, before Tobias's head dipped forward.

"Night, son." Quietly walking away, Tobias left Snape and Harrison.

As soon as his father had went into another room and shut that door, Snape sighed, closing the door to his spare room as well. He turned back and shook his head.

Not a single room he had so far seen in his father's cottage had that homey feel to it. In fact, each one just seemed to remind him more and more of what he would imagine the cells in Azkaban looked like. An image of the old row house on Spinner's End then flashed in his mind followed quickly by the apartment his mother was living at with Roger, her boyfriend of nine years. Every place he had ever lived had that familiar feeling of a cage. Except Hogwarts, that was, but he had a feeling that would have changed in the future judging by his future self's sudden appearance.

He glanced down at Harrison, catching the toddler's sleepy gaze. "Depressing, isn't it?" Shaking his head slowly at the sight of the little boy's yawn, he headed over to the small bed and sat down on its edge. It wouldn't be long before the toddler would be out like a light. In fact, by his calculations, the more he talked, the quicker it'd likely take to put Harrison into baby coma—or what Snape hoped was baby coma so he could have the chance to recuperate and plot out his next actions without any interruptions. When he noticed those beautiful green eyes of his childhood love staring back up at him again, he sighed inwardly, feeling a familiar urge to divulge everything at once. "I know. I shouldn't have come here. It's only going to lead to heartbreak." He then frowned as the green eyes stared back and demanded the truth from him like always. "On your part, of course. He couldn't hurt me anymore if he tried. I'm not the stupid ten-year-old boy, who makes all the pathetic excuses in the world for him anymore. So, it won't bother me any when he disappoints yet again." Even he didn't believe his own lie there. "Nothing he could say could change my mind about him." Perhaps it was exhaustion playing tricks on him or just plain madness at this point, but Snape could've sworn Harrison had given him the old 'Oh, really?' look right then. "It couldn't!"

Running a hand through his long black hair, Snape let his shoulders sag a moment later. Oh, whom was he kidding? Harrison was right. Deep down, the young man still cared for his father. Even if the man did abandon his wife and child and leave them to the wolves.

When Harrison made some indiscernible sound, Snape turned his attention back to the toddler and noticed the questioning look on the child's face—or perhaps it was another look. He couldn't really tell. The boy was always making faces, even though he was clearly tired.

"Don't you think if I had some other place to go, I'd have taken us there instead?" Snape asked the one-year-old who was staring intensely at him and making Snape feel extremely guilty. "Well, I would have. Anywhere but here. But where would we go? A hotel? Like I have the money for that long term. Don't even get me started about Dumbledore's spies everywhere, who would report your sudden appearance instantly. Hogwarts is out as long as I have you as well. I can only imagine the looks on their faces when they saw you. They'd all know whose child you were." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but failed unfortunately. "And my mother's apartment?" He scoffed, rolling his eyes as he glanced up at the ceiling. "I haven't been there since the summer before my seventh year." Sneering at a distant childhood memory, he shook his head. "Even if I had been back there long before now and given Mother no reason to kill me the next time she saw me, I'd not take you there. Not as long as that bastard's there with her." Pure hatred seeped into his voice as a memory flashed behind his dark eyes.

" _Well, well, if it isn't my good-for-nothing stepson," snidely remarked a tall, muscular man as he leaned against a wall in the Muggle part of King's Cross station. "They teach you anything up at that fancy school of yours this year?"_

" _Where's Mother?" the sixteen-year-old Snape asked, glancing around the area. She had always come before. It had been a little ritual of theirs, in fact. She'd pick him up and they'd talk the whole drive home to her apartment she shared with Roger._

" _Not here, Genius. She's too busy working her arse off trying to support you, her loser son."_

_The teenager bit his cheek to keep his temper in check. He knew Roger was baiting him. Like always. He wouldn't let the man win this time. Not when he knew the man didn't fight fair._

" _Well, come on then. We don't have all damn day." Roger turned and headed towards the nearest exit. Snape quietly followed, wishing he had been able to Disapparate already._

_When they finally reached the car, the sixteen-year-old put his stuff in the back obediently and hopped into the front passenger's seat. He caught Roger's immediate look of disgust but turned away and glanced out the window. He hoped the hours passed by quickly. At hearing the engine turn over and feeling the car start to move, the teenager felt himself start to relax. Just a bit, though._

" _So, I see your girlfriend's not with you this time," Roger remarked after a few miles._

" _She's not my girlfriend," the young man replied, just barely keeping the anger from his voice._

" _No? You sure follow her around like a puppy dog, though." Roger then laughed darkly. "So, what happened? She finally wake up and realize what kind of pathetic loser you are?"_

_Snape clenched his teeth, biting his tongue, though. He would not let Roger win. Not this time._

" _Or something else?" Roger smirked when the teenager became even angrier. "Let me guess."_

" _Shut. Up," Snape hissed. He was still reeling over the hurt from losing his best friend._

_The smile vanished instantly from Roger's face. "What'd you say to me?"_

" _I said, 'Shut up," the sixteen-year-old repeated, glaring daggers at the older man. When the car suddenly swerved and came to a complete stop, the teenager felt a slight surge of fear rush through him. But there was some other feeling as well, something new. However, before he could figure it out, Roger had backhanded him. Then a fury of blows started coming, one right after another._

" _You listen to me, you little shit! If it wasn't for your mother caring so damn much about you, I'd have taken you out of the picture long ago!" Roger snarled, still landing hard punches against the cowering teenager. "You do not tell me what to do! Ever! Understand?!" When Snape didn't respond, Roger hit him once more hard in the side. "Answer me, you pathetic coward!"_

" _I got it . . . I got it," the sixteen-year-old obediently cried, wanting the pain to stop._

" _Excuse me?" Roger hissed._

" _Sir! I got it, sir!" Snape kept his arms up covering his head._

" _You better." Roger then snatched a hold of the teenager's chin, wrenching his head to force Snape to look at him. "Or else Mummy dearest is going to go away, far far away. But don't you worry, Severus." Roger smirked darkly, patting the teenager's bruised cheek playfully. "I'll make sure she enjoys herself too before I'm done with her." He chuckled when Snape's eyes flashed. "What's that?"_

_The sixteen-year-old, however, looked away, biting his cheek so hard that he drew blood._

" _Good boy," Roger mocked before he continued their long drive back._

The twenty-one-year-old shook the rest of the memories away. It wasn't as if it would do any good to dwell on the past anyway. After all, his mother hadn't. In fact, when he had begged her to leave Roger once, not long after that event actually, she had told him that he needed to get over his daddy issues because Roger was a good man—better than Tobias ever had been. Of course Snape hadn't helped his cause by lying to her that day and explaining his black eye and other bruises away as his being in a schoolyard scuffle on the train ride home.

Soft gurgling beside him drew Snape back out of his thoughts. He glanced at Harrison and sighed quietly. The boy was, no doubt, exhausted. At least, Snape knew he himself was. His dark eyes glanced about the room briefly, looking at the few pieces of furniture one last time. For a moment he considered transfiguring the desk into a crib, but he wisely decided against it, knowing his use of magic would only draw attention to them. If he could, he wanted to delay the inevitable meeting with the Aurors as long as he could.

"I don't suppose if I put you on the floor, you'll stay out of trouble, will you?" Snape asked the one-year-old. He forced a quiet laugh when he caught Harrison's 'What do you think' look. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He then glanced sideways at the bed they were sitting on, sighing loudly.

With the bed pushed into a corner, it was possible, Snape thought, that he could make sure that Harrison didn't crawl away and hurt himself. Only he'd have to hold the small toddler in his arms all night. Snape winced at this thought. He hadn't even liked to sleep holding teddy bears when he was younger. Yet here he was, considering holding a child against him. Though, it wasn't just any child, he reminded himself quickly. This was Lily's child.

His heart throbbed at thinking her name. When he was thirteen, he had convinced himself that he and Lily would marry and have loads of kids together, so happy and in love. When he was fourteen, he revised that perfect future to being just him and Lily, still being so happy and in love. When he was sixteen, though, he started to discover that his ideal future with the beautiful, green-eyed redhead was just a pipedream and began lying to himself to protect it and himself.

As his fingers brushed against the crisp edge of the envelope that contained Lily's letter, Snape closed his eyes. The truth that he had worked so hard to fight against over the years was just there in his pocket. All he had to do was just open it and read her letter. His older self hadn't died from learning her true feelings for him, he knew. In fact, the older man had admitted that Snape would somehow actually find the strength to move on from Lily after reading her letter. So it was possible. But without her . . .

"Then I'm utterly alone," Snape quietly whispered, finishing his thought aloud. When he felt Harrison nuzzle against him a moment later, he glanced down at the little boy. He watched Harrison for a few seconds before drawing the sweet boy into his arms and laying down somberly. No, that wasn't the case anymore. Without Lily, Snape and Harrison had each other. They weren't alone, and they wouldn't ever be. His future self had ensured that by bringing the boy to him instead of Petunia.

When Harrison tilted his head slightly and glanced up at him, Snape resisted the urge to smile. There was just something about this boy. He couldn't explain it quite yet.

"Sometimes I'm a dunderhead, aren't I?" He silently laughed when Harrison giggled before he yawned and nuzzled into him further, clearly preparing himself for sleep. Hesitating just for a moment, Snape then gently rubbed the toddler's back. "Sleep well, brat."

He continued to rub Harrison's back for several minutes to make sure the boy fell into a deep sleep. When he was convinced that there'd be no chance of the boy waking, Snape finally then pulled the sealed envelope out of his pocket. As absurd as it was, he didn't want the boy to see the letter or its reaction it had on him. Then again, Snape knew he was one who valued privacy above all, having had none of it lately thanks to Dumbledore and the Dark Lord.

Quietly, he pulled the letter out of the envelope, his eyes instantly recognizing the familiar neat and graceful handwriting. Swallowing back his emotions, he readied himself to read what Lily's last words to him were. With his mind emptied now, he drew in a slow, deliberate breath and started to read.

_Professor Dumbledore tells me that I have you to thank for why James and I are in hiding currently. So, congratulations, Sev. You've managed to sink even lower than I would have ever given you credit for. Of all the stupid things I thought you'd do, this was not one of them. Did you honestly think by putting my family in danger that I'd just leave them and go back to you instead? If that's the case, well, one of us is an idiot, and it certainly isn't me._

_He argued, of course, that it was a mistake you deeply regret. But we both know that's bullshit. The only thing you regret is putting_ _ my _ _life in danger. You don't give a damn about James or my son. Let's be honest after all. You have always wished James was out of the picture. Not just because of our Hogwarts' years, but because he made a move on me when you were too much of a damn coward to._

_I've been locked up in this damn place for so long because of you that I've had lots of time to recall our times together, Sev. You know what I realized finally? All those times you told me what a horrible person James was, that he wasn't the man everyone thought he was—none of it was for my benefit. You weren't being the hero there and protecting me from the big bad Potter. No. You were manipulating me to make sure that I stayed being your possession. That I stayed being your sweet, naive Mudblood that you could play with whenever you wanted. Well, guess what, Sev? It took me several years, but I finally figured it out._

_All this time I had wondered if your insane jealousy and possessiveness were because you fancied me. But you showed me the truth. Want to know how I figured that one out, Sev?_

_Look at your left forearm where you proudly wear your Dark Mark. If you had truly loved me, you would_ _ never _ _have joined that evil. You would never have given your soul to a monster bent on destroying people of my birth. Of your father's birth._

_Oh, I know. You're likely fit to be tied right now arguing how wrong I am. How if I had just forgiven you that day when you begged on your knees that none of this would have happened. That we would have still been best friends and all would be right with the world. Only, Severus, that, too, is a lie._

_You hate Muggles and Muggleborns with every fiber of your being. If you had your way, you'd have exterminated us long ago. Because in your eyes, we are all filth. Subhuman creatures who need to be put out of our misery. To you, we deserve to be slaughtered by the millions because we don't deserve to breathe the same air as you and your brothers._

_Again, I know. I'm too special in your eyes to be subjected to any level of that hatred on your part. Because I'm_ _ your _ _Lily. But we both know, Severus, that it wouldn't have ever worked between us. Your heart is filled with so much hatred and darkness, whereas mine is filled with love and lightness. Even without that, you still have the fact that you joined the Death Eaters, a group whose main purpose in life is to destroy families and kill people they see unfit to live. Then, we have the fact that there is no way that you would ever be allowed to be with me while being in their ranks. I'm the enemy after all._

_Professor Dumbledore told me how you begged him and your master to spare me. If you think for even a moment that you are that important that your master would do such a kind action for you and spare your Mudblood girlfriend, then you're all sorts of messed up, my friend._

_If I'm wrong, however, and your master does, in fact, offer me a choice, let me be clear. I will never choose you, Severus Snape. Never! Why? Because you never chose me._

_I forgave you long ago for calling me that slur and for everything else that occurred between us. Do you know why I didn't tell you this, though? Why I brushed you off that day in Gryffindor Tower? I didn't tell you because words mean nothing to you. Let's be honest again, shall we? I told you time after time that I hated you being around Avery and Mulciber all the time. I told you repeatedly that your using Dark Magic frightened me. Yet, you didn't care. You brushed me off, so I brushed you off just the same, hoping that my cold actions would be a wake-up call to you._

_All you had to do was show me, prove to me that you were the same sweet Severus I knew when we were younger. The begging and pleading with me wasn't showing me that. You had done all that before. I needed you to show me that you weren't that monster I feared you were becoming. That you would fight against the darkness that was around you. That you'd be the stronger man. Instead, you ran to your master with open arms, embracing his hatred and evil. You escaped your pain by taking the coward's approach, Severus, when I had stupidly believed and hoped you'd take the other._

_I made excuse after excuse for you. I fought all my housemates for you. But in the end, it wasn't enough. You did this. Not me. You. You could have fought against them harder. You could have turned a cheek to all that darkness. You could have been the man I thought you were. But you didn't. Instead, you became a cowardly murderer, determined on hurting others to avoid your own pain. You destroyed our friendship. And now you've decided to destroy my family as a result. But listen closely, Severus._

_It won't work. You can beg You-Know-Who and promise him your soul for all I care for me, but I will never be yours again. I will not subject myself to the darkness you've embraced and be suffocated by you any longer. I will not. I would rather choose death than to live that sort of life with you._

_For the first time in a long while, Severus, I am happy. Truly happy. I love James with all my heart. I admit I loved you at one point as well, but that was such a long time ago and before I shed so many tears for you. If I'm wrong and all this jealousy and possessiveness you've displayed around me over the years is, in fact, a result of you loving me, then please, Severus, I beg of you, let me go. Save us both the heartache and pain, and let me go in peace. We both know a relationship would never work between either of us. We want different things in life. And, honestly, I don't think I could ever look at you now and see the innocent boy I grew up with. All I would see is the murderer, the bigot, the coward you've become. I'd see all the blood that's on your hands, all the mothers crying for her dead children. I would hate my life and be so miserable. I'd likely even take my own life to escape the prison you put me in. You deserve someone who accepts all of you, the good and the bad, and that's not me. Not anymore. I just don't have that in me anymore. We both know this. Let me go, Severus, and be happy._


	9. The Fatal Crow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does contain a brief line of graphic violence at the end so I'm warning you now. Also, hopefully, I don't confuse all of you with the section that has the flashback. I didn't know how to make Severus's Legilimency lines stand out without using boldface and italics. Either way, enjoy.

The loud chirping of various birds outside the Shrieking Shack drew the forty-year-old man out of his restless slumber. With a quiet groan a moment later, Severus rubbed tiredly at his face. He had spent most of the night reading _Secrets of the Darkest Arts_. More than a few times, he forced himself to take a break, usually whenever he could feel himself start to feel sick to his stomach after reading a particularly horrifying passage.

While he'd freely admit that there were parts of the Dark Arts he enjoyed learning about, this book, however, contained none of those things he enjoyed or had ever really wanted to learn about before. In fact, he was certain that if he had read this book when he had first started to dabble in the Dark Arts in his early teens, he would have likely sworn off the Dark Arts right then and there. The appeal of using Dark Arts to destroy those who would do him harm would never have been so great after reading this soul-poisoning book. He would have been saved. If only.

Closing the heavy leather-bound book soon after, Severus tossed it aside. He grimaced when a cloud of thick dust flew up into the air as a result. This place was in serious need of fixing up. However, he wouldn't be here long. That was if everything went his way.

He removed the black journal that he had pocketed earlier, opening it to the final pages where he had stuffed his notes inside. He couldn't hold back the faint smile when he caught the beautiful cursive etched on the journal's pages. His wife's handwriting was always so elegant and neat. He turned his attention to his notes where he had written all seven Horcruxes and their locations, though.

The first Horcrux was the diary, which was made with Myrtle's murder in the girl's bathroom in 1943, later given to Lucius Malfoy before the events at Godric's Hollow. Then there was Marvolo Gaunt's ring, which was made with Tom Riddle Sr.'s murder in 1943, resided in Gaunt Shack. Salazar Slytherin's locket was made with the murder of a Muggle tramp in 1946, was at a cave but thanks to Regulus's efforts it moved to Grimmauld Place. Helga Hufflepuff cup was made with Hepzibah Smith's murder in 1946, resided in the Lestrange family vault. Then there was Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, which was made with the murder of an Albanian peasant in 1946, resided in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. Harry was next, made with his parents' deaths and his own attempted murder in 1981, but Severus had prevented this Horcrux from being made this time. Finally, there was Nagini, who had been made a Horcrux with Bertha Jorkins's death in 1994 and who was always near her master—but had not been made a Horcrux yet thanks to time travel.

Five Horcruxes. That was all Severus would need to find and destroy this time. Five was manageable in his opinion, especially with all his future knowledge at his disposal. However, knowing where all five of the Horcruxes were and what they were didn't mean that it would be easy. He still had to figure out how to get to them. In some cases this was easy. In others . . .

The hardest ones to reach were going to be the locket, the cup, and the diary. They would take skill and finesse if he were to succeed in reaching those. However, none of that mattered if he didn't find a way to destroy the Horcruxes first.

Knowing that the Dark Lord was incapable of feeling remorse, Severus quickly scratched that off the list as a possible method of destroying Horcruxes. The Sword of Gryffindor hadn't been encased with Basilisk venom yet, so that, too, was out. Not to mention, that unlike Harry and Neville, Severus was far from anything resembling a Gryffindor in the slightest. Now, a Basilisk, though—he knew where to find one of those, and it'd certainly be killing two birds with one stone.

His eyes found the gleaming castle in the far off distance a moment later. It looked so beautiful with the sun shining upon its many towers. None of the current inhabitants knew of the dangers that were lurking in the building. None of them knew the horrors that would occur, the losses, the blood lost. No. They were all likely waking up now, disgustingly excited for the first Quidditch match of the year without a care in the world. It wouldn't be until after the match that everyone at Hogwarts learned of the Potters' deaths at Godric's Hollow, thanks to Dumbledore's brief casting of Anti-Owl charms around the grounds. Order members were the only ones privileged enough to know the truth right away, but even they were forbidden from revealing it to non-Order members until Dumbledore allowed it.

Though, Severus supposed he owed Dumbledore some gratitude since this would all work in his favor now. The students and remaining staff would be gathered outside at the match, leaving the castle practically empty for the most part. He could easily sneak back into the school.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Severus sighed heavily. While Apparating into Hogwarts had worked so far since it seemed the castle somehow recognized that he was/would be a Hogwarts' headmaster, he knew the castle would not permit him to Apparate in anymore after he had attacked Dumbledore in his office earlier and forced the man to witness what his Greater Good cost everyone. Severus had learned quickly after killing Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower in 1997 that the Founders had included a security measure that made it so any attack on a current headmaster was always taken as an attack on the castle itself, forcing Hogwarts to react and prevent any further assaults. Even after Severus had been named headmaster after the Ministry had been taken, there were still times that the castle was hesitant to allow him to Apparate in and out of it. It wasn't until the Final Battle, where he had nearly died, that the castle allowed him full access to all the powers that came with being a Hogwarts' headmaster.

He laughed shortly as a thought occurred to him just then. How laughable it was now to think that he had to prove himself to a damn castle of all things before he was accepted. The universe clearly enjoyed screwing him over, it seemed.

The dull gleam of his tarnished wedding ring then caught his eye. He quickly looked down at it. His wife was the only person in his life he had never had to prove himself to. She had accepted all of him, the good and the bad, and had stood beside him through it all—even if he didn't know it. A part of him wanted to Disapparate right then and find her younger self and tell her to keep fighting for him. But he knew that he couldn't interfere with that part of his life. She'd be there. Of that he was not worried about in the slightest. She had always been there. He just had been too damn blinded by Lily to see her.

" _Sometimes, I swear, Severus, you are the biggest arse on the face of the planet, and yet somehow I still love you. Now, what the hell does that say about me?"_ his wife's loving voice whispered as a distant memory floated in his mind.

He couldn't stop the laugh from escaping. But when the familiar pain in his heart quickly returned not long after, the laughter died on his lips. He had been with his wife for seven months before . . . The damn universe had only given him seven months of happiness, of love, before it had ripped it all away from him. Seven months. Of course he had known her for more than just seven months, mind you. She had been by his side for twenty-eight years, whether he wanted her to be or not. But it wasn't until after the Final Battle, until that day in St. Mungo's after he had talked with Harry that he finally woke up and saw her, really saw her for the first time and realized how stupid he had been all those years.

" _I swear I'll just be a minute. I just need to tell him something. Then I'll leave. I promise," said a male voice somewhere off to Severus's left near the door to his room at St. Mungo's. Severus instantly perked up in his semi-conscious state at the sound of the familiar voice._

" _Mister Potter, I'm afraid that's not possible right now," another male voice, an older one this time, added to the mix. The voices sounded muffled, as if something was blocking the sounds. Severus assumed then that this muffled conversation was a result from the door obviously being closed._

" _I know. I get it," Potter replied placating. "He probably isn't in the mood for visitors, but I have to talk with him."_

_Recognizing the panic in the young man's voice immediately, Severus tried to open his eyes to tell the older man to allow the boy in. He managed to get his eyes open just a bit to see blurry outlines of what he assumed was the wall before his eyes closed again. He was just too exhausted unfortunately._

" _It's not that he isn't in the mood, Mister Potter," the second voice argued with a heavy sigh. "It's that he already has a—"_

_The sounds of soft retreating footsteps from Severus's bedside followed by the door creaking open a second later cut the older man off instantly. Severus found himself very confused at this development. Someone had been visiting him already? Who? The boy he could understand, but . . . was it Minerva? No. She likely would have covered his face with a pillow and killed him in his sleep._

" _It's all right, Healer Sheppard," a female voice said quietly near the door. "I was just on my way out anyway." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "He's all yours, Harry. Maybe he'll wake up for you." Definitely not Minerva, Severus thought silently._

" _Uh, thank you, ma'am," Harry replied, clearly shocked by something._

_The door then closed a moment later followed by the sound of heavy footsteps heading towards Severus's bedside. Once more, Severus attempted to pull himself out of the darkness and into the light of alertness. He needed to see the boy, to see if Harry was all right—or rather—physically all right._

" _I, um, I don't know if you can hear me, sir," Harry started pathetically._

_He badly wanted to tell the young man that he could as he continued his attempt to wake up fully. This semi-consciousness, never awake for more than a few hours a day, was really getting on Severus's nerves. He tried to make a sound, hearing nothing at first before finally a guttural noise escaping his lips. Terrible pain surged through him a second later, informing him that he was being a total idiot attempting to speak after being brutally attacked by a giant snake._

" _Okay, I'll take that as a 'Yes,' then," Harry said with an obvious wince. He then gently rested a hesitant hand on Severus's shoulder before he quickly removed it when Severus's eyes flew open and glared at him. "Sorry. I know. You're likely going to hex me for that later."_

_It was odd to hear the compassion and kindness in the boy's voice, knowing that it was directed at him—the bastard who had made the boy's life hell. It made Severus forget temporarily his annoyance at the boy touching him._

" _I, um, I just wanted to thank you, sir. For saving my life, I mean." Harry looked down guiltily. "All those times over the years . . . It couldn't have been easy."_

_If he could have, Severus would have snorted. 'It couldn't have been easy?' Seriously? That's what the boy gained out of all this? It was no wonder why the boy wasn't a Ravenclaw._

" _I can't believe I was so wrong about you. Actually, no, I was wrong about everyone." Harry sighed quietly, running a hand through his long hair. "I thought Dumbledore was, like, the greatest and kindest wizard ever, but he wasn't. He used me. Used a lot of people actually, if we're honest."_

_Severus groaned inwardly. The boy was going to start rambling. He just knew it. And there he was, forced to listen to the boy's rambling as Harry tried to make sense of everything that had happened. Sure, he protected the boy and tried to give Harry all the tools he'd need in order to survive, but that didn't mean that Severus wanted to be Harry's Mind Healer as well._

" _It's ridiculous now if you think about it. Everyone kept telling me that I was wrong about you. I didn't believe them, though. I didn't_ _want_ _to," Harry continued. "You were right, though, sir. I was arrogant. I was so convinced I was right that I didn't even consider that I could be wrong. Not to mention that I did, at one point, enjoy all the attention, just as you said. I quickly learned, though, that fame wasn't everything. And you, our relationship I mean, I-I was so convinced that you were out to get me, that you hated me so much that you wanted me dead. If I had just stopped for a moment . . . If I just thought for a second, I-I could have . . ."_

_Catching Harry's eyes, Severus concentrated as hard as he could. He felt the familiar warmth fill him as his magic awakened. He may not have been able to speak vocally to the boy, but Legilimency could do just the same in terms of communicating._

_**"Enough of your incessant babbling,"** Severus thought, sending it to the boy. If he were a different man, he might have laughed hysterically at the ridiculous face the boy made at hearing Severus's voice inside his head._

" _You're in my head!" Harry cried out, clearly shocked._

_Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. **"How observant of you. Now, cease in the ridiculous display of dramatics. They'll do little good here."** When he caught Harry's jerky nod, he continued using his Legilimency skills. **"I trust that you'll keep everything you saw earlier to yourself, yes?"** Again, Harry nodded jerkily, which made Severus relax slightly. At least he wouldn't have to worry about a book deal in the future that told all about how the poor, neglected son of Cokeworth risked everything to protect the son of his childhood bully and lost love. **"Your current debasing yourself is not needed nor warranted. Furthermore, I have little need to hear your apologies for things that were beyond your control. So, please, do keep them to yourself or else I will hex you for being the ridiculous child you are. You survived. That is all I need to know, Harry. The rest is frivolous."**_

" _You called me Harry," the young man whispered, staring at him with a strange look._

_Oh, but of course that would be the thing the child would get out of that. Severus should have known. Biting back a sigh, he gave Harry an annoyed look. **"A slip of the tongue, obviously."** He caught the boy's cheeky grin, though, knowing that Harry didn't believe it for an instant._ **_"You've said what you've come to say, so go on already and leave me in peace."_**

" _I haven't said everything, though, sir," Harry argued._

_**"Perhaps not, but I am intelligent enough to know what is left to say, and I assure you that I have no desire to hear all those disgusting sentiments that you'll spew at me."**_ _Harry laughed in response._

" _How about just one, then, sir? Please? For old time's sake?"_

_Severus grimaced in disgust, but said nothing. There was no denying that there was a sort of odd connection between them now, like old comrades sharing battle stories after a long war. Which in a way, they were._

" _You truly are the bravest man I ever knew, sir."_

_The words gave Severus pause for a moment as he stared at the young man. Bravest man the boy ever knew? Well, clearly the boy had forgotten Moody and Remus and a whole handful of others who were more worthy of that title than he was._

_**"And what, pray tell, do I have to show for any of that so-called bravery on my part, hmm?"** He had nothing left. Like it had always been in his life. Though, he wasn't really complaining. He had made his own bed a long time ago, and now he had to lie in it._

" _You have me, sir, and the respect and admiration of everyone you saved."_

_Severus made a face. Respect and admiration? The boy was obviously deluded._

" _Not to mention that you've been hailed a hero, sir."_

_His heart stopped in his throat. What? He stared dumbfounded at the boy. Him, a hero? Nothing he had done was . . . it was all to redeem himself, to make things right, to gain the ever-elusive forgiveness he desperately needed from Lily. No, he wasn't a hero. Not at all. James was a hero, giving his life for his wife and child. Not Severus. **"I'm not a hero. I'm just a self-centered, bitter loner."**_

" _Who has a chance to start again now," Harry replied. "Don't take this the wrong way, but, well, it's done now, sir. We won. And, well, I think after everything, my mum wouldn't want you to torture yourself anymore. Everyone tells me how forgiving she was," he shrugged, "so I think if she would have had the chance she would have told you that she forgave you, sir. That she didn't want you to hurt yourself anymore because of a mistake." Harry then sighed quietly. "I know I have no say in the matter, but I know in my heart that you didn't know when you told Voldemort the Prophecy that it'd lead to Mum's death. Only a dunderhead would believe that." Harry gave him a sad look. "I think, sir, it's time you finally forgive yourself and move on. I mean, that's really all you can do at this point, isn't it? You've done everything else short of going back in time and fixing all of it."_

_Severus had no reply to any of that. Forgive himself? The guilt still tore at him daily. The regrets now started to eat at him as well. He had nothing in his life to show for. If he had died, he had no doubt in his mind that there would have been no one at his funeral. Not even his mother. He had pushed everyone in his life away. It simply had been easier that way._

" _If anyone deserves happiness, sir, it's you," Harry declared fiercely. "You've more than earned it. We both know that now." Licking his lips slowly, the young man drew in a slow breath as if to prepare himself for something. "I know you'll think this is disgustingly sentimental and everything else, but when I used one of the Hallows to prepare myself to d-die . . . I was glad to see you weren't there, sir. Because it, it wouldn't have been right." Harry then held up a hand and started to speak faster. "Not because I hated you at that moment. Not at all, sir. I was glad you weren't there, because it made me believe that you had survived, that you lived. That you hadn't been another who had died for me. That you hadn't died without ever experiencing love, real love that you deserved to have in your life. I mean, I-I admit that after I saw your memories, I-I felt so bad for you. I know you hate that, sir. That you don't want anyone's pity, but it's not really pity. I don't know what it is, but it's not that._

" _And then later when I went to the office to talk with Dumbledore, when I saw that your portrait wasn't there—it gave me more hope," Harry continued, speaking even faster now as everything poured out of him. "Hermione was the one who told me that a few professors found you in the Shrieking Shack and brought you back. I wanted to see you that day, but you know how Madam Pomfrey is. And then when I came the next day . . . I didn't want to intrude then either. I didn't really want to interrupt today either with you two, but I couldn't wait any longer, sir. I needed to tell you that you had nothing to apologize for. That if it was forgiveness you were so desperately trying to attain, you had it, sir. I mean, I admit I was a stupid boy at times and lashed out, but I'm an idiot. We both know that. You deserve all the happiness in the world. You deserve to have a good life. You deserve it, sir! You've more than earned that good life. And then some." Harry drew in a shaky breath, wiping at his eyes. "And I want you to know, sir, that whatever it takes, whatever you want, I will help you get it. I owe you so much. I know I could never truly repay you for everything you've done for me over the years, but I want you to know that whenever the time comes and you need a favor, no matter what it is, I'll do it. I owe you a lifetime of favors and I intend to repay them all when you ask me to. No matter what it is."_

Outside the Shrieking Shack, the birds chirped incessantly louder and louder, pulling Severus out of his memories. For a moment, he considered hexing the damn things just on general principle. Instead, he stood up. There was no time like the present to get started and end this thing once and for all.

* * *

Using the secret passage that led back to the castle after drinking an Invisibility potion (since Severus absolutely refused to grab from Dumbledore's office the famous Invisibility Cloak that James had lent Dumbledore before his death), Severus snuck across the vast grounds, feeling the crackling of the wards as he passed through them. He briefly glanced towards the Quidditch pitch, hearing the wild cheers from the gathered crowd, before he turned and headed towards Hagrid's hut.

While he knew he was hidden extremely well from eyesight, he knew that Hagrid's pets, if one could honestly call them that, would smell him in an instant. He had to do this quick and efficient if he were to succeed. As he approached the chicken coop not long after, he slowly withdrew his wand. A stunned rooster would have to do for now.

He glanced around the area one last time, checking for signs of anyone watching before he whispered a soft _Muffliato_ while he pointed his wand at the chicken coop. The sounds of the startled birds instantly vanished from the air. He quickly slid his wand back up his sleeve and pulled out of his front robe pocket a piece of rolled-up leather. Carefully unrolling it a moment later, he pulled out a metal file and a small pick, silently whispering his gratitude to his father for giving him this awhile back. With experience and an inherited natural gift for lock-picking on his side (his father's side obviously), Severus easily picked the lock Hagrid had placed on the chicken coop's door. His eyes quickly passed over the fearful chickens before he flicked his wand and stunned them all. Bending down soon after, he snatched up the nearest rooster and locked the coop back up behind him.

As he rushed up towards the castle, he turned his wrist and undid his spells, leaving a fury of ticked off chickens clucking wildly behind him. A necessary distraction, he decided, just in case anyone had been watching.

Minutes later swooping up the massive grand staircases of Hogwarts, he rushed with stunned rooster in hand towards the girls' lavatory that the poor moping Ravenclaw ghost frequented. He snuck inside, resisting the urge to grimace when he walked through the once again flooded bathroom soon after. Myrtle was in one of those moods again, it seemed. He quickly set off searching the various taps for the engraved snake he had seen in Harry's memories during their failed Occlumency lessons.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Myrtle's haughty voice suddenly announced behind him. "Boys aren't allowed. Don't you know that?"

"I'll only be a second, Myrtle," he replied quietly and politely, refusing to stop for even a moment. The damn entrance to the chamber had to be here somewhere. If only he could find it . . . "And then I'll leave you in peace again. I promise."

"Severus?" Myrtle whispered quietly, adopting a more friendly tone instantly.

"Yes, Myrtle, it's me." He held in his sigh of annoyance. He had befriended the sad ghost long ago during his second year at Hogwarts, and she never ever let him forget it either.

"What are you doing?" she asked curiously, floating closer so he'd be forced to see her. Her eyes briefly darted to the rooster he was holding before they returned to him.

"I'm looking for a tap that has a snake on it," he answered honestly. There was no need to lie to Myrtle after all. She, like all of the ghosts at Hogwarts, was connected with the castle. Hell, at this point he'd bet even the portraits were aware of his presence in the castle again.

"You're planning on doing something dangerous, aren't you?" she accused a moment later.

He couldn't hold back his snort. "Five points to Ravenclaw," he drawled with a faint smile. His eyes then found the tap he had been searching for.

"Whatever killed me came from there," she warned.

"A basilisk," he stated quietly, his eyes focused intently on the snake tap. "It had been released by Tom Riddle so he could make a Horcrux with your murder."

"A Horcrux? What's that?"

Severus pressed his lips together, though. How would he open the chamber now that he found the entrance? He wasn't a Parselmouth. He searched his mind for any clues to how Harry had done it. Closing his eyes a moment later, he attempted to mimic Harry from memory by hissing.

"Well, that's just rude," Myrtle mumbled beside him. However, when a loud mechanical noise then filled the room, he reopened his eyes, watching as the sink lowered to reveal a large pipe. "Is that the . . . ?"

"Chamber of Secrets, yes," Severus replied with a satisfied sigh. So far, everything was going according to plan.

"She's not going to like this. Not at all," Myrtle announced beside him soon after.

He glanced at the Ravenclaw ghost briefly. He had a few guesses to whom 'she' was. "Probably not, Myrtle, but if I do find myself near death down there, then maybe she'll show herself again and stop ignoring me," he stated coolly. He caught Myrtle's confusion instantly, but turned away from her and jumped into the pipe clutching the stunned rooster protectively against himself.

Using his magic, Severus rapidly slowed his descent down the pipe, knowing that if anything happened to the bloody bird in his arms that he'd be screwed royally when he came face-to-face with the basilisk. They reached the bottom not long after, Severus floating them to the floor gracefully. Sparing just the briefest glance at the rooster, he found it to be unharmed. Not taking any more chances, he cast a protective charm around it and set off down the corridor.

Would he finally see the cloud of Hogwarts again, two years after her last appearance? He had no doubt in his mind that was the 'she' Myrtle was referring to after all. The portraits, Myrtle, and all the other ghosts, all of them from his understanding were tied into the cloud of Hogwarts and by extension the castle. It was likely why it was next to impossible to keep a secret at Hogwarts ever. If he were right and he would run across the cloud once more, their encounter had left him only with more questions than answers. Why had it saved some when it could have saved them all? Why hadn't it appeared when he was a student at Hogwarts and had nearly died because of Black's prank? Why hadn't it saved Myrtle for Merlin's sake? Or Cedric? Or taken Harry under its wing and told the boy that all would be right eventually in the world? Why had it let them suffer when it could have helped when they likely all cried out in the cold air for help?

Shaking his head, he finally reached the end of the tunnel. He stared at the two emerald eyed, entwined serpents that were carved into the solid wall in front of him, blocking his path. His eyes glanced down at the rooster before he sighed. Beyond that wall would be the basilisk, the first danger on his journey. It would either go well, which he prayed to Merlin and Circe above was the case, or he'd join his wife and child in the afterlife.

Drawing in a calming breath, Severus released all the tension in his body a moment later. With one hand holding the rooster, he pulled his wand out with the other hand. He didn't feel like playing games anymore.

" _Bombarda,_ " he yelled, a jet of light striking the wall soon after. Rubble flew out in all directions, the emerald tinkling to the floor a moment later. He cast the Blasting curse once more, sending thick pieces of rock flying behind him. When he saw that there was no hole still, he hissed in frustration. So much for destructive magic.

When the entwined serpents then started to move suddenly, his eyes widened briefly. Perhaps Harry wasn't the only one with dumb luck sometimes. The wall split apart a moment later and permitted his entrance. He swept into the chamber soon after and stalked down the long tunnel towards the lighted area. His eyes remained trained on the tall statue of Salazar Slytherin, knowing that was where the basilisk lay hibernating inside as it waited for its master's call.

Glancing around the massive chamber a moment later, Severus gently tested the statue with a few minor Blasting curses directed at its base. When he noticed a few pieces crumbling off and felt no rebounding magic, he smirked. So, the great and powerful Voldemort, and even Slytherin himself, never considered for a moment that someone would use Blasting curses. How arrogant of them.

With his wand thrust towards the larger than life statue of the Slytherin founder, Severus snarled, " _Bombarda,_ " putting all his power behind his curse. The bright jet of light slammed hard into the stone statue, sending debris flying everywhere. He quickly cast a shield to destroy the pieces that fell near him and the rooster. A moment later, an enormous snake slammed hard onto the ground, sending a wave of water towards him. Severus stood his ground, though, and waited.

The basilisk made no movement. So far so good.

Severus then glanced down at the stunned rooster. It'd like peck the hell out of him if given the chance so a binding spell was clearly in order. He flicked his wand lazily at it, the shimmer of his spell quickly working its way down the rooster's body. He then slid his wand back up into his sleeve and grabbed the bird with both hands, holding it towards the hibernating basilisk in front of them. Saying a quick and silent prayer to himself, Severus steeled himself. Here went nothing.

" _Rennervate,"_ he cast, feeling the rooster come alive instantly as he undid his earlier spell. Squeezing the bird around the middle hard and no doubt painfully for the bird, he forced the rooster to crow loudly. Its cry echoed even louder in the massive chamber, nearly deafening Severus. He forced it to crow a few more times for good measure before he Spelled the rooster back asleep.

His eyes then trailed over the large snake, looking for any signs that he had succeeded. He wasn't certain, though, if his eyes were playing tricks on him or not. It seemed to be dead. But snakes were known to be cunning after all. So, slowly, he approached it, his wand drawn once more.

Unable to take the waiting any longer, he slashed his wand violently in the air and cast his trademark curse _Sectumsempra_ at the basilisk, hearing a sickening sound a moment later. At the sight of the basilisk cut in half now, he finally relaxed. He had unfortunately gained an intense fear of snakes, thanks to Nagini's attack on him in the Shrieking Shack two years ago. Wasting no more time, he pried the dead basilisk's mouth open and yanked both of its massive fangs out. Diadem, here he comes.


	10. Troubling Answers

So there it was. The truth at last. There was no denying the hatred penned in her letter for him. He couldn't even spin her words this time, as he had always done before, to make it so she came out as being the perfect goddess on the white marble pedestal with him at her feet, worshiping her. No, that pedestal he had placed her on so long ago had shattered into a million pieces with the very first sentence in her letter. Angelic perfection, crafted with decades of self-protecting lies, had been replaced with the cold, ugly truth; Lily Evans-Potter was a bitch.

Seething, the twenty-one-year-old clenched his hand tightly around the letter before crumpling it up into a tight ball. Had he truly meant nothing to her? After all their years of friendship? For Merlin's sake, he had been the one to introduce her to the damn Wizarding World in the first place! He had been the one to teach her spells, complicated ones way beyond their years (let alone ones that a Muggleborn would know), before they even set foot in Hogwarts! Hell, he had even taught her all about Potions before they even received their letters! And this was the thanks he received for all that, a bitchy letter from a self-centered shrew? Well, screw her then and the damn horse she rode in on. He didn't need her. He hadn't needed anyone. Ever.

As his mind replayed Lily's hate-filled words, his anger increased. How dare Dumbledore reveal his begging him and the Dark Lord for her life, his relaying the fatal Prophecy to the Dark Lord, and his all-around being weak! He clenched his jaw even tighter. How dare that old man! Oh, certainly he knew without a doubt that Dumbledore was using Snape's temporary moment of weakness to his advantage. The old man rarely missed any such instances after all. But to do something so . . . And people believed that the Dark Lord was the only dark wizard around. Dumbledore and the Dark Lord had a lot in common in Snape's opinion. The bastards!

He hated them. Hated all of them! The Marauders, Lily, the Dark Lord, Dumbledore. With every bit of his damaged soul, he hated them! A part of him, in fact, hated his future self as well. He had been fine before his future self had appeared. He had been able to believe his protective lies about Evans and continue the delusion of his happy-ever-after ending. He had been content working with Dumbledore to defeat the Dark Lord in secret. Now, he just wished them all to hell.

In a span of a night, his life turned upside down. A child—whom he should have hated—was in his arms, snuggled warmly against him in a loving paternal-like embrace. A lost love—whom he should have been devastated to lose—was now just a shrew he wished he would forget. A mentor—whom he should have felt resolute loyalty to—was now just a figure of disgust. A father—whom he should have continued to ignore for the rest of his life—was now someone he was longing to know more about. And an enemy—whom he should have wanted to use any means to destroy—was now just another foe that would be someone else's problem this time.

He was just about to continue his silent rant when he heard and felt a nearby explosion outside. _Death Eaters._ His eyes quickly darted down to Harrison, checking the boy over for any signs that it had woke him. When he found none, he rubbed the boy's back gently and slowly got up out of the bed, heading for the door. However, the door opened before he reached it.

"Ya all right?" Tobias asked, looking both Harrison and Severus over for any injuries. It seemed the nearby explosion had woken the older man up and caused him to check on them.

"We're fine," Severus answered stiffly, feeling horribly unsure of himself as he held Harrison against him. They could not stay there with Death Eaters nearby. Not unless he wanted to explain why he was in the home of a Muggle with a toddler in his arms. Drawing in a slow and calculated breath, he quietly suggested, "We should find somewhere else to stay for the night."

"Normally, I'd agree," his father started to say before another loud explosion shook the house. Several items off in the general direction of the living room rattled violently from its force. "But this is really the safest place for us right now."

Severus frowned in response. It had been years since he had been near Muggles, much less his father, so he wasn't used to having to explain his every action anymore. "I'm certain you believe that. However, I can use my magic and take us away from here without them knowing it."

"Yeah, I know, but—"

"Dad," Severus interrupted naturally, hardly noticing he had called the man that. "Trust me."

"It ain't that I don't trust you, Severus. It's that—" Another loud and powerful explosion cut Tobias off. This time the force had sent them staggering to nearby walls, nearly knocking both men off their feet.

"We don't have time to argue!" Severus grabbed his father's arm, thinking of an old farmhouse on a cliff as he started to turn on his heel with Harrison.

"NO!" Tobias shouted, looking horrified as he reared back. "I can't, son," the older man begged, a haunted look entering his blue eyes.

Severus's eyes narrowed on his father in confusion. The man seemed to understand his intentions at least partly. His mind briefly pondered if his mother had Apparated Tobias and her somewhere before Severus was born. "If you're worried that you'll sick up, it's perfectly—"

"It ain't that. I don't give a damn if I look like an idiot in front of ya, Severus." Tobias ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair, shaking his head. "I can't leave. If I do, they'll . . . I can't leave." The way Tobias had said that caused Severus to feel a chill run down his back. Just what was his father so afraid of?

"If we don't leave, they will come in here and kill us."

"No."

"Yes," Severus argued. "I know these people. They will stop at nothing—"

"The thingamajig around this damn place won't let them in, son," Tobias countered firmly. "Please. Just trust me this one time."

Severus blinked at his father's fierce declaration. What was he talking about? What thing?

"It only let you in because you're my son," the older man quietly continued, sighing heavily. "And even then I wasn't sure it would."

"What thing are you talking about?"

Tobias shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know its name. Shit, it's been so long I can't even remember when they did it anymore. But it keeps me from leaving and tracks the things going on in here for the most part." He sighed heavily. "The moment you entered the house, they likely noticed it. But with those idiots out there, blowing things up, I guess they're too damn busy to send someone here like I thought would happen."

"Who's 'They'?" Severus asked hesitantly, feeling his gut clench in uncharacteristic dread.

"The authorities. Forget what they call themselves in your world anymore."

Severus took a step back, staring at his father. "What?" The Aurors were on their way?

Tobias glanced down at the floor, though, and remained quiet. He had a pained look on his face, as if he was recalling something in his mind.

A flash of bright light then lit up the room, nearly blinding Severus in the process. He shielded his eyes instinctively before he quickly lowered his hand at the sight of a red-cloaked woman who had suddenly appeared inside the cottage with her wand drawn. A strange crackling rippled throughout the cottage then as some form of protective magic took over. A shield, he assumed soon after.

With Harrison still against him, Severus awkwardly drew his wand as well, pointing it at the hazel-eyed woman. "Lower your wand!" he commanded, his posture clearly defensive.

"I could ask you to do the same, Severus Snape," the tan woman replied with a scoff, her eyes trained on him. "All right there, Toby?"

"Still in one piece at least," Severus's father quietly remarked, his shoulders relaxing somewhat. "Now, could ya two lower those damn things? Please." Severus kept his wand trained on the unknown woman, though, noticing that she, too, didn't lower her wand. "He ain't a threat to you, and ya know it, lass. So, please, just lower it. Before one of ya gets hurt." Neither Severus nor the other woman did so, though. "Chloe, please. I'm beggin' ya, lass. Lower it."

Severus's eyes narrowed when he noticed the woman's eyes dart towards his father briefly before she sighed quietly.

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that, seeing as how your son is a known associate of—"

Severus felt his heart skip a beat. This woman, whoever the hell she was, knew he was a Death Eater. Everything would come crashing down in a few moments, he knew. He'd lose Harrison, after the brat had finally started to grow on him . . . somewhat. Furthermore, he'd be called out in front of his father as a murderer and a child abductor. He couldn't explain why, but that unsettled him greatly.

"Is a known associate of Bumblebore," Tobias cut in, not realizing he had said Dumbledore's name wrong. "Yeah, I know. But yer pointing a wand at my grandson and son, Chlo, and I ain't too keen on that. Ya understand?"

"Grandson?" she repeated, confusion flooding her face momentarily. "There's no grandson listed in your file."

"It's a recent development," Tobias stated rather snottily. "Now, will ya lower the goddamn stick for the love of God?"

After another few moments of absolute silence, Chloe finally lowered her wand, holstering it soon after but keeping her defensive posture as if she expected an attack at any moment. With Death Eaters nearby, though, Severus didn't blame her for that at all. He silently slid his wand back up into his sleeve as well a moment later and glanced between both of them. He was missing something obviously.

"Thank you."

"What's he doing here, Tobias?" Chloe questioned, her eyes resting on the older man. "You know that you're not allowed to see him. In fact, you're not to have _any_ visitors here besides me."

Severus's eyes narrowed on her. His father wasn't supposed to see him? Why? He glanced towards his dad, noting his father's pained look as he stared down at the ground.

"The boy just needed a place to crash with Harrison. That's all, Chlo'."

"You're not allowed to have contact with your son, Tobias. You know this. It was the agreement you signed upon in order to receive a chance at parole."

Severus's mind swam instantly with a million thoughts. His father had signed away his rights for parole? What the hell was going on? Who was this man who stood in front of him anyway?

" _Because the truth is worse than what you've thought all these years,"_ his father's voice echoed in his mind.

"What did you do?" Severus asked breathlessly, staring at his father. All this time he had thought he had been the bad sheep in the family. But now it was starting to look like it ran in the family.

"Ya got understand, son . . ."

Severus turned back to Chloe, noticing that she was watching him with mild interest. "What did he do?" He caught her soft sigh instantly.

"That's something you need to ask your father, I'm afraid," she replied with a half-shrug. "I'm not at liberty to divulge Ministry-case details."

"You're an Auror?"

"Yes. I'm in charge of your father, making certain that he abides to the terms of his parole to the letter. Which he seems to have decided to toss away tonight."

"My father's a Muggle," Severus said quietly, mostly to himself as he stared at them in confusion. He had grown up all his life believing that to be fact. And now, after everything else he had been so convinced about had been discovered to be the opposite of his beliefs, he couldn't believe it.

"Actually, your father is a Muggleborn by our latest estimates," Chloe corrected softly. "We haven't been able to confirm it without a doubt, though. You see, it would seem that a year after your father was born, your paternal grandmother just vanished. I've searched through the Muggle and Wizardry databases and found little to no records of her. In fact, on your father's birth certificate, it only lists her initials, whereas your grandfather's name was listed in its entirety. It was almost as if your grandmother just appeared one day and disappeared the next. Now, your grandfather, however, I've managed to confirm his ancestors were all Muggles from Cokeworth and the surrounding areas."

He glanced back at his father. "But you didn't—I never saw—I don't understand." He turned back towards Chloe. "How do you know he can do magic? That he's a wizard?"

"Well, one, there's record of his birth at Hogwarts."

"What?" His eyes snapped back at Tobias.

"He didn't attend, Severus. Your grandfather saw to that."

"I don't understand," Severus quietly said, his mind racing with thoughts.

"I never saw the letter. If it weren't for Chloe digging into my past, I wouldn't even have known about it in the first place. She was the one to find it at that fancy school of yers." Tobias sighed heavily. "He wasn't known for bein' friendly. With anyone really. Only thing he ever really liked was drinkin'. Drinkin' and smackin' me around a bit. Toughenin' me up, he'd call it."

Severus recalled Roger for a brief moment, but remained quiet.

"As I'm certain you've seen over the years, physical abuse can go one of two ways," Chloe cut in a second later. "Either the victim will attempt to lash out at his or her attacker one day to exact revenge, or the victim will remain powerless in the situation and take the abuse silently. In your father's case, he took the abuse, which led him to instinctively suppress his magic in order to ensure there was no reason on his part for his father's beatings."

Unfortunately, Chloe was right. He had seen the after effects of the two paths before. He had lived the first way, lashing out at all of his attackers one way or another over the years. And the second, he had seen a fellow housemate refuse to stand up for himself, taking the abuse day after day rather than fighting back. Finally, when the young Slytherin had had enough and fought back, he found that his magic refused to cooperate, leaving him powerless and forced to take the assault from his fellow classmates who were, as they too called it, toughening him up.

"Did Dumbledore know?" Severus demanded, his anger bubbling up inside him. If that meddling old coot had interfered with his father . . .

"Did he know, what? That your father could do magic?" Chloe shook her head. "No. He's not even aware of your father's existence really. As was how the Ministry wanted it, honestly."

That statement gave Severus's instant pause. "Why? What's so special about my father?"

"Nothing really," Chloe replied with a shrug. Severus brushed off his father's outraged huff. "The Ministry just doesn't, shall we say, appreciate the headmaster's interferences with matters that concern the Ministry."

Severus turned back towards his father. "What did you do, Dad?"

"Sev—"

"No. You promised you'd tell me in the morning. It's morning now. What did you do?" He caught his father's shoulders slump as his head fell forward again. "What did you do, Tobias?" His eyes briefly glanced at Chloe as he watched his father struggle for the words. It was during this time that he finally noticed the dark scar just underneath her right eye. He had seen her before he realized. However, he couldn't piece together where he had seen her before. Turning back, he sighed. "Dad, tell me."

"I-I don't know, son." When Severus clenched his teeth and growled in disgust, Tobias quickly started to ramble. "Honestly, I don't. One moment I was in the pub down on 10th, mindin' my own damn business, nursing a drink in hand. Next, some damn git is talkin' shit, and I knock him a good one. Fucker draws a knife, and then it all goes black. That's it, Severus. That's all I remember."

Severus glanced back at Chloe instantly then. Things weren't making sense. He could believe that his father went to the pub after his mother had kicked him out yet again. Severus had witnessed that many times. But he couldn't understand what had happened to make the Aurors interested in a random bar fight, much less one that sounded like it was fought with fists not wands.

"Something else had to have happened. What was it?"

"I don't know! I mean, they said I-I killed 'em, but I don't remember any of it. After that, the next thing I remember is four or five people with sticks pointed at me."

"That doesn't make sense." Severus glanced at Chloe, catching her frown. "Unless I'm a complete moron and have no understanding of the law, that's clear self-defense."

"Normally, it would be," she replied flatly before she turned away.

Unable to shake the feeling that there was more to the story and that he wouldn't get it, Severus inhaled slowly, clearing his mind. He then concentrated on Chloe, nonverbally casting _Legilimens_ on her. He found himself in her mind soon after, quickly searching and finding the info he needed.

_Blood dripped nearby onto the floor . . . splintered wood lay chaotically around the room . . . a gaping hole had been cut into the wall . . . bodies were strewn about haphazardly . . . horrified screams filled the air . . . the smell of death lingered in the air._

Severus pulled back from Chloe's mind a moment later, feeling even more confused than before. The entire scene had looked like something from a movie. It didn't seem at all real to him. The Aurors thought his father had done that? Truly? No, it seemed more like a bomb had gone off.

"What evidence did you find that pointed to my father?"

Chloe sighed, as if she had gotten bored with the conversation. "He was the only living person in that pub. Everyone else was . . . bits and pieces. Which matches up perfectly with a severe case of accidental magic. He felt threatened and reacted."

Severus's eyes narrowed even more on her. "But you found no magical signature that tied him to the crime, correct?"

"I wouldn't expect you, a known Death Eater—"

There it was. The insult he had been waiting for. He knew the young Auror couldn't maintain her false niceties for too long. In his usual cold manner, the young man drawled, "I was vouched for by Albus Dumbledore in case you've forgotten." Severus heard her scoff instantly and glared in response.

"Death Eater? What's that?" Neither answered Tobias, though. "Son, what's she talking about?" he asked, clearly puzzled.

"You alerted the others earlier, didn't you?" Severus asked a few moments later, feeling his stomach clench in apprehension. At no time had she seemed worried about the Death Eaters that were trashing Cokeworth. Agitated by his presence, yes, but not worried.

"If you're referring to the other Aurors, yes, I did." Chloe held a defiant gaze with Severus. "You may have convinced Dumbledore that you're a good little Death Eater, but I've seen your work. Cutting curse, isn't it? Your trademark?"

Severus instantly pulled Harrison closer, his hands clenching instinctively. He had never used his specialized curse to kill anyone before. If he were honest, he'd have admitted that he frankly didn't have it in him to kill yet. To injure, however, was a different story. There had been many poor victims over the past few years that he had left wounded by his curse. Had it not been for Dumbledore's vouching of him, he likely would have been in Azkaban instead of at Hogwarts for his crimes.

"It's funny, really," Chloe said with a soft laugh, full of coldness. "None of the others could understand why I would jump at the chance to be near your father after what he had done. But then, they never knew our history together, Severus." She forced a mock smile to her lips. "You see, you and I met before. Do you recall?"

He could hear the bitterness in the young Auror's voice. His stomach lurched as he came to the sick realization that he had been the one to give her that thin, dark scar underneath her right eye. There was no one more dangerous than a victim bent on revenge. He should know after all.

"Lass, I don't know what you think my boy did, but—"

"Tobias, please," Chloe quietly interrupted, speaking kindly to him. "This isn't between us. It's between your son and me." She then turned back, the anger quickly returning to her hazel eyes. "It was in Manchester a few years back. In this little two-story home where you and your brothers decided to slaughter an entire family for the hell of it one night."

"What?!" Tobias yelled, cutting in once again. "Severus, tell me that ain't true."

Chloe, however, continued, holding Severus's gaze. "There was Angela, thirty-six, mother of two. She was repeatedly violated in front of her husband Darren, thirty-seven, before one of your brothers, Rodolphus I believe, slit her throat and then his. Then there were the two little angels they had. The youngest, sweet Corey, five—you remember him, don't you?"

Severus closed his eyes, recalling that night perfectly now. He hadn't even wanted to go hunting that night, but the Dark Lord had ordered him to go out with the others to taste the glory of death. Instead, Severus had tasted only bile as he had vomited all night afterwards.

"And then there was me," Chloe stated coldly. "I was sixteen. My family and I had just celebrated my birthday a week before. That night, I will never forget it. But you see, the one thing I remember most of all, out of all that, wasn't my parents' screams and then the silence. No. It wasn't even my brother. No, the thing I remember the most about that night was Rebastan Lestrange turning to you, Severus. He ordered you to finish me off." She scoffed in disgust, shaking her head. "Oh, sure, you raised your wand to me. Made it look real good, but you didn't finish me off. You and your brothers left afterwards, likely to celebrate another job well done. I wonder what they'd think if they knew the truth. That you hadn't killed me. That you left me there, alive and bleeding severely."

"I'm sorry," Severus said quietly, swallowing back his emotions.

"The witch who tended to me at St. Mungo's said I was lucky to be alive. Lucky, can you believe it? My whole family had been slaughtered, but, dear Merlin, I was _lucky_ ," she snarled, anger seeping into her words. "The witch, whom I owe everything to really—she listened to my sob story, about how you and your brothers murdered my family. Do you know what she said then? She told me that I had choice to make now. That I could tell the Aurors the truth when they came later about being in that house and how I had received my injuries. You see, strangely enough, I wasn't found with my family in that two-story house. No, it was almost as if someone had come back and brought me to St. Mungo's afterwards. Either way, I could tell them the truth and put myself back into danger, or I could lie and make a new life for myself and get my revenge later when I was older. So, the Aurors came and asked me how I received my injuries, and I lied through my teeth and told them everything she had told me to say. They left, no questions asked. I stayed there at St. Mungo's for five months under her care, under her guidance. When I was released, she spoke with a few of her Ministry friends . . . and voila, here I stand as an Auror before the man who did this to me."

"Lass—"

"Tobias, shut it," Chloe snapped, glaring at him briefly before her eyes returned to Severus. "You see, when I saw that you were here, that you had finally returned, I didn't know what to think. I mean, you truly didn't remember Severus. It was all over your face. You had no clue." She scoffed, shaking her head. "Then again, I'd imagine, I was hardly the only one you left behind bleeding."

"If you wish to kill me—"

"I don't want to kill you. Don't get me wrong, though. I wanted to. I mean, for years I thought I wanted to kill you, but death would be too good for you." Her wand quickly returned to her hand as she pointed it dangerously at him. "You see, what I want from you is to know why. Why didn't you kill me? Why did you leave me there alive? Was it to make me suffer more? Or—"

"It was none of that," Severus replied, deathly quiet. He closed his eyes, feeling young Harrison gently rub affectionately against his cheek as if to comfort him. He could start to see why his future self had left the boy with him. The child was truly loving and accepting. Both of which were things Severus had desperately yearned to feel just once. "I didn't kill you because I couldn't, Chloe. I couldn't find it in myself to raise my wand and use it to kill another human being." He inhaled softly, glancing at her as he spoke the truth. "I still can't."

"So, you're weak?" she said bluntly.

He flinched but inclined his head a moment later.

"Well, that's a damn lie," Chloe scoffed out instantly. "Any human who can't kill isn't weak. That's a lie your master has led you to believe. One of many."

A powerful blast, however, yanked them back to reality. Severus grabbed the wall, still keeping a firm hand on Harrison. He caught Chloe's brief flicker of fear as more blasts shook the cottage violently before she quickly recovered. The Death Eaters had found them.

"The barrier won't last for much longer," she loudly called out over the constant barrage of magical explosions against the cottage's outside walls. "Not with the spells they're using currently." Her hazel eyes darted to Tobias before returning to Severus. Her free hand went up into the air before she yelled out, " _Accio photo album."_ A thick leather-bound book flew into the room a second later, seemingly coming from one of the back bedrooms. "Take it and leave."

Tobias wordlessly grabbed the album from her, giving Chloe a puzzled look.

"If you lower those wards—" Severus warned, realizing what the young witch was planning. But it was too late. The magical barrier around the cottage suddenly vanished, and a side of it blasted apart as a result, allowing the dark robed individuals to flood inside. Instinctively, he snatched a hold of his father's arm and turned on his heel, feeling the familiar tug behind his navel as he did. A rush of sound then roared in his ears as he Disapparated his father, Harrison, and himself far away.

The trio reappeared a moment later, crashing down outside the farmhouse on a cliff. Severus and Tobias quickly scrambled to their feet, knowing that danger was still likely nearby. They rushed inside, poor Harrison jostled horribly and screaming bloody murder, slamming the door behind them. A tingle of warmth then spread through them as the ancient wards were raised. Only then did the two men glance at each other and close their eyes.


	11. Twisted Talks

Having released the rooster once he had escaped the Chamber of Secrets, rapidly approaching footfalls from around the corner up ahead forced the forty-year-old Severus to duck behind the nearest suit of armor somewhere along the seventh-floor corridor. He was still fully hidden by the active Invisibility potion in his system, he knew, but he didn't want to take any chances. Not anymore. A sudden jolt of pain that flared up deep within his scar, however, kindly reminded him that he wasn't the perfect agent of his past. The pain forced him to wince and bite his cheek to silence his instinctive hiss.

" . . . been in his office since late last night, I tell you. He refuses to come out for anything. Even for one of those bloody Muggle sweets he's been on about the past few weeks. I'm telling you, Minerva. Something happened up there last night, and I doubt it's anything good," Madam Pomfrey announced ominously somewhere around the corner from where Severus hid.

"Poppy, please," Minerva McGonagall replied, clearly running thin on patience already. "Enough of—"

"Severus is gone as well. Now, what do you make of that? Hmm?"

"What?" That news must have come as a bit of a shock to McGonagall. "How do you know he's gone, Poppy?"

"Well, after Albus refused to answer my owls and knocks last night, I thought that maybe he was speaking with Severus. You know how fond he is of the boy."

It took everything in the forty-year-old man not to scoff. Fond of? More like afraid that his puppet would one day cut the strings and free himself of his master's control.

"And?"

"There was no answer. Even if Severus was having a bit of a lie in, he'd still answer the door." Poppy sighed loudly. "Naturally, I asked the ghosts if they had seen either of them. Course even that was stranger in my opinion."

"How so?" McGonagall replied, clearly curious.

Severus found himself leaning more towards the two witches. What could the ghosts have done that would be stranger than usual?

"Well, they seemed agitated by something. Sir Nicholas refused outright to even talk with me, Minerva. Friar and the Baron, I could understand, but Sir Nicholas? Something happened last night. Something terrible. How else do you explain for the no post today, or haven't you noticed the lack of owls we seem to be having here this morning?"

Frowning, Severus shook his head. Things weren't matching up with his timeline anymore. Minerva should have known that the Dark Lord had disappeared by now. After all, he seemed to recall Minerva saying long ago that after she had learned of the Dark Lord's defeat, she had went to Surrey to figure out what Albus had been up to while the rest of the world celebrated. But Dumbledore going to Surrey didn't make sense anymore. Harry Potter had died with his parents in Godric's Hollow. Or at least that was the story he wanted everyone to believe this time around. So why would Dumbledore visit the good-for-nothing Dursleys now, if that was the case here?

"I'm sure Albus has a very good reason for all of this," Minerva said quietly.

If Severus hadn't had as much experience in reading people as he had, he might have missed the slight falter in Minerva's voice. It seemed that she perhaps was starting to have some doubt about the headmaster as well, as she should have had all along. When he heard their footfalls receding a moment later away from him, he let out a soft breath and continued ahead.

He found Barnabas the Barmy's tapestry soon after, sparing only one glance at the ridiculous sight of trolls learning ballet before grimacing. Recalling how Harry had done it so long ago, he paced once, then twice, and then finally the third time in front of the tapestry. _I need the place where it is hidden,_ Severus thought before slowly reopening his eyes. Wordlessly, he pushed open the large doors that had suddenly appeared, grateful that the castle seemed to grant his wish easily.

The moment he walked in, though, Severus found his breath catch in the back of his throat. There before him in the very large, and unfortunately, familiar room was a suspended-in-the-air large crystal that had the four House colors reflected on its stunning surface.

"This is not what I requested," he called out once he had regained his voice.

"You requested the place where _it_ is hidden, Headmaster," a familiar voice spoke rather amused behind him, as the doors shimmered away. "So, don't get snarky with me when I do just that."

Severus growled inwardly, glaring at the crystal that seemed to be humming.

"I don't have time for your games, Cloud."

"I much rather prefer to be called 'Hogwarts,' thank you," the familiar voice replied haughtily somewhere off to his left. "Seeing as how I _am_ the castle." It then paused before adding, "Or rather the incorporeal representation of it at least."

He clenched his fists at his side. All his feelings of betrayal and anger came rushing back. He had wanted to speak with the cloud on his time, not when it decided to show up finally.

"It's odd, really," the Cloud stated quietly. "I'm connected to all past and present headmasters. But then again, you know this." A soft laugh then echoed about the room as Severus gritted his teeth even more. "Oh, yes, Headmaster, I _can_ sense it in you. Yet there's something different about you than the others. Strange."

"What's wrong?" he said mockingly, thoroughly annoyed by its appearance and interruption. "The Founders didn't provide you with directives concerning interacting with future headmasters?"

Silence greeted him for quite some time before the Cloud finally remarked snidely, "How peculiar. For a moment there, I thought you were twenty-one again, bratty and full of himself."

Severus smirked inwardly to keep from growling. He'd take the win knowing that he wasn't the only one annoyed now.

"Of course I know why you're here," the Cloud snapped a moment later. "You showed me that earlier when you attacked the true headmaster of Hogwarts."

He shrugged, not wanting to tip his hand if the Cloud was bluffing. "If that's the case, then you should understand my actions entirely."

"You wish to cure the sickness that has been allowed to fester."

"Exactly. So allow me to do so in peace and end this game."

"What makes you God, though, Headmaster?" the Cloud asked suddenly. "What makes you have the right to change everyone's lives?"

"If I succeed, all those children you've been caring for over the years, they won't suffer the horrible atrocities of my timeline."

"So you say," it replied, clearly not convinced. "But who is to say that the timeline won't just change and cause it all again, just with different players this time, hmm?"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Why?"

"Because any change that I do this time will make it better than the hell we went through in order to achieve our bloody victory."

"You wish to spare lives? It may work, but by doing so, you put others at risk."

The crystal in front of Severus then started to form an image inside it. He turned away as soon as he saw the reflected image, feeling the instant punch deep in his gut. Why had the damn Cloud shown him _that_ image of all things?

"Our connection may not be fully matured for some reason, but it is there, Severus. You know, or should know at the very least, that I am bound to serve _all_ Hogwarts' headmasters. So, listen to me, please. All of this righting the wrongs of your timeline, preventing the tragedies of the future—none of it will bring your wife and child back."

He forced the air into his lungs before he replied hoarsely, "I'm aware of that, thank you."

"Then why do you continue to pursue this course of action? It will only lead in tragedy for you again. You know this. You are a smart man from what I've seen thus far."

"Albus Dumbledore, your supposed _true_ headmaster, meddled all the time!" he countered. "And do you know what that got us?"

"Yes. I saw the visions you gave him earlier."

"Then you know why I do this, Cloud!" he shouted.

"Loss is inevitable in wars, Severus. You know this."

"It is, but not children. Not innocent victims trapped in an old man's chess match."

"You are following the same path that you criticize Albus for taking. What makes you so certain that you won't have the blood of innocents on your hands as well after this is done as well?"

He opened his mouth to argue, only to close it soon after. What did make him so certain that he wouldn't be like Dumbledore? He had to think for several minutes on this before he finally admitted with a heavy sigh, "Nothing makes me certain. But I believe I can guide the timeline in a certain direction with a few direct nudges to minimize the losses, if there are any."

"Your wife's theory, Severus, was just that. A theory."

He couldn't hold back his temper. "One that she devoted her life to!" he shouted, his eyes darkening as the familiar anger raged inside him. "One that she spent every night working on just to see if she was right. Just to see if it was remotely possible at all for one to undo his past in order to influence his future positively."

"It won't bring your wife and child back," the Cloud repeated firmly.

"I don't need it to!" he snarled. "I just need it to work."

"Think of the changes you've already made," it pointed out in a disapproving tone. "You attacked the true headmaster of Hogwarts and forced him to see the errors of his way before he was ready to comprehend it. You gave a child to a young man who is troubled and lost, giving him no helpful guidance on his new journey. And you've destroyed the monster in the Chamber of Secrets before it was even opened by its heir. These are no little events that seemingly nudge the timeline. These are events that will destabilize it entirely. All the good you are doing will be undone in the future. Rowena knew this."

"Well, good for her," Severus sneered.

"Since yours was not a typical ascension it seems, you may not know this, but I am—"

"Connected with every ghost, portrait, headmaster, and wall of Hogwarts, yes, I am aware of that," he spat out nastily. "I don't need the Cloud of Hogwarts 101 refresher, I assure you."

The Cloud, however, ignored his outburst. "Helena stole her mother's diadem, the very thing you are searching for now, before she fled Hogwarts. Like the loving mother she was, Rowena never told a soul it was stolen, much less by her daughter, Severus. However, on her deathbed, Rowena realized the error of her ways and sent for her daughter. She needed the girl to understand before she died that relying on such objects, like the diadem to make others believe that Helena was better than her mother, wouldn't make the desired result so. Instead, Helena's reliance would summon her undoing, as it would further corrupt her in the future and cause her not to see her own true value."

"How wonderful," Severus drawled.

"I tell you this because—"

"Honestly, I don't care about any of that. The only thing I care about is destroying the Horcrux that is here at Hogwarts. Do you understand? Everything else is meaningless to me."

Deafening silence quickly greeted him before the room altered its appearance. The giant crystal disappeared and was replaced by a tall wobbly stack of junk. Even more items shimmered into existence then until finally the room was filled full. _The room where everything was hidden._

"Thank you, Hogwarts," he quietly said, slowly heading down one of the aisles. At hearing no reply back, he knew that he had angered the cloud. However, he truly had no use in pondering the consequences of his actions like a good Slytherin would this time. Doing so would result in more nagging feelings that would try to prevent him from succeeding. He had no room for doubt.

His dark eyes glanced left and right at the various junked items. Rusty swords, bats, broken chairs, and empty bottles lined both sides, so he continued further into the cathedral-sized room. Somewhere in here, on top of a large cabinet was the diadem. He just had to remain patient and vigilant.

"It was my mistake, Severus," the cloud finally spoke, appearing next to him after several minutes had passed by.

He paused briefly, glancing at the cloud lit up with each of the four Houses' colors inside it before he turned away and continued his search.

"The answer you've been seeking," it clarified soon after, becoming quiet once more.

"I take it the longer I'm here in the castle, the more of my knowledge is passed along to you?" he asked as he stopped and craned his head up to look at the top of a nearby wooden cabinet.

"You're correct," the cloud replied, following him when he moved onto the next aisle.

"So saving me, you believe, was a mistake of yours." He scoffed silently.

"No, Severus. Not at all. You see, my creators did not wish me to interfere too much. They wanted all of the wondrous children who pass through these doors to have the tools in order to succeed in life and be protected from the evils of the world while here. So, as I see the past you've lived, I cannot fathom it. Any of it."

He remained quiet as he walked along beside the cloud.

"Help will always be given to those at Hogwarts if they need only ask. That is supreme principle that guides me. And, yet, I failed. You had called me once before. Do you recall?"

He closed his eyes briefly and drew in a slow breath, but didn't reply. It had been the night he had taken the Dark Mark. His fellow Slytherins had brought him back to the castle afterwards and left him in his bed, shaking like a leaf and sicking up violently.

"I did not come, though. I heard your plea for help, but I didn't come."

"Enough," he rasped, feeling the turbulent emotions bubbling up within him once again.

"You were not the only one who called for me over the years to which I did not respond to. There were others. Many others. Like sweet Regulus, who only wanted to be the good, dutiful son. And then there was Myrtle—oh, how she called for me so many times to help her. Then Rubeus, who is so loving and kind. So many of my children called for me over the years, Severus. And they only heard the silence. I chose which ones to help and which ones to not. Difficult choices. And I was wrong so many times. I had thought, like so many others, that boys would be boys and girls would be girls. That teasing and the like was not a life-or-death event that required my intervention. It was a necessary phase that all children had to overcome. I was wrong, though. If I had helped Myrtle overcome the bullies of her past or even you, then perhaps it would have been different. But we'll never know now, will we?"

"There is a difference between what I am doing now and what you did, or rather didn't do," Severus quietly pointed out. His eyes then caught a glimpse of the dusty stone warlock wearing the ugly wig with the discolored tiara. Quickly forgetting about the Cloud beside him, he grabbed a nearby chair before he hopped up onto of it and pulled out one of the basilisk fangs from his pocket.

A voice hissed from the diadem instantly, though, stopping him dead in his tracks.

" _Severus, please don't this."_

He stared wide eyed at the diadem, swallowing back his emotions. It was a trick. That voice was not his wife's, even though it sounded like it. It couldn't be her. She was buried with their child. He had buried them both . . .

" _If you destroy it, you'll kill me. Kill us. It speaks the truth. You know this in your heart. Don't do this. Please, my love. Don't do it."_

"You're not real," he stated firmly, drawing in a sharp breath. It was a trick. That's all it was. The Horcrux knew it was near destruction and was trying to preserve itself. He glanced towards where the Cloud of Hogwarts had been previously, noting that it had morphed into his wife's image. His gut clenched painfully. However, he quickly did his best to clear his mind, knowing that the Horcrux was likely gaining power from him and using the Cloud of Hogwarts's energy. In fact, he'd bet a thousand galleons that everything that had happened after his entering the Room of Requirement had been an elaborate scheme by the Horcrux to save itself from its impending destruction.

" _Severus . . ."_

Summoning every bit of strength he had, he stabbed the diadem with the fang deep within the oval sapphire. A loud scream then roared out of it before thick black smoke shot out of it, a part of the Dark Lord's soul screeching through the roof and out of sight. Severus sighed heavily, his head falling forward with his eyes closed. It had been a year since his wife had stood speaking to him.

"You face a long and difficult journey, Severus," the Cloud of Hogwarts spoke once again in its usual voice several minutes later. It had returned to its gaseous state. "The darkness you face, it is powerful and seductive. And, yet, you've overcome the first hurdle unscathed. We owe you a debt of gratitude for removing the evil that has flowed deep within our walls for so long, poisoning our minds. It is much clearer now than it was before. But now is the time you must depart. For there are four more you are eager to destroy. And destroy them you must to end the reign of evil for good."


	12. Love's Power

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can never begin to thank all of you enough for all your kind words and comments about this story. It always amazes me to see how many adds and favorites this fic has. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Without further ado, enjoy the warm fuzziness with a dash of seriousness.

With his eyes still closed, Severus said a silent prayer for the young Auror they had left behind in Cokeworth. He couldn't believe it. Any of it really. No matter how he tried to excuse his behavior, it always came back to the fact that there was no excuse for any of it. He had done terrible things, and only he was to blame for it. No one else. At least Lily had been partially correct in her letter about that. He truly couldn't use the Marauders' despicable actions as an excuse for his joining the Death Eaters. He should have been stronger and resisted taking the easy way that so many Slytherins nowadays were taking. That had been his fatal error. One of many he had been making lately, it seemed.

"Ya can't blame yourself, son," Tobias said quietly a few moments later.

Severus held his tongue, though, not wishing to fight with his father, or anyone really. Instead, the young man reopened his eyes finally and headed towards a cage that contained a small barn owl. He grabbed the quill from the nearby table, scratching out a quick note onto a piece of parchment before he tied the message to the barn owl's foot and sent it off to its unspoken destination. His eyes followed the bird as it gracefully took flight, flying over the turbulent waves of the sea.

"We have a few hours before it arrives," Severus announced after the owl disappeared into the horizon. The poor thing would likely reach Hogwarts in the afternoon sometime by his estimate.

"Are we safe here?" his father asked, glancing warily around the old farmhouse.

"For now."

Tobias nodded slightly before he moved about, checking his surroundings out. Every now and then, he'd pause for a moment and glance back at his son. However, he'd move on to the next area not long after, realizing that Severus wasn't in the mood to talk just yet.

Severus didn't know how to explain it, but he couldn't believe for a single moment that his father had murdered anyone, accidental or otherwise. He'd freely admit that his father clearly had some rough edges to him, but so did a lot of people from Cokeworth. Everywhere one would look were desperate lost souls who'd beg anyone who would listen to save them from the darkness within. It just didn't make sense to him. Lying to get out of trouble, cheating at a card game, hell fighting with a random bloke on the street, Severus could see his father doing. But killing? He raised his eyes slowly and glanced over at his father, who was currently examining the fruit basket on the dining table. He knew absolutely nothing about this man in front of him. So, why in the nine hells did he trust the man so much? Was it just that they shared blood? Was that it? Or was there something else, something Severus couldn't describe?

"Tobias?" he called out hoarsely.

"Yeah?" his father grunted, turning towards him instantly. His father's kind blue eyes fell on him once more, and Severus felt that indescribable feeling bubble up within again.

"Tell me about yourself." When he caught his father's eyes narrow on him, he swallowed and glanced away. He felt . . . nervous, maybe. He couldn't explain it. Everything seemed different now. Had his future self felt this way, too, after he had spoken with their father, he wondered to himself.

"All right," Tobias replied with a listless shrug, heading back towards him while still clutching the photo album in his hands. "What do you wanna know?"

"Anything. I'm not picky."

Tobias laughed softly, though. "Not now you're not, but ya sure used to be when you were little, Severus." His father then shook his head before sitting in the armchair across from the sofa. "Well, it's like what she said. I never knew my mum. Grew up in Cokeworth under Dad's watchful eye in this rundown shack." He scoffed as a memory clearly flashed behind his eyes. "Your granddad wanted to pass on the skills of our ancestors at an early age. Taught me how to pick a lock when I was just—good lord—eight or nine, I think. Said learning from books don't teach ya shit about life. Not like picking locks and stealing will. Good ol' Dad."

"Were you caught?"

"Oh, loads of times at first. Could barely hold the damn things in my hands, so I'd always drop the damn things on the front step. But I got better. He saw to that. Every mistake became a painful lesson." Tobias shrugged. "The officers and me were on a first-name basis by the time I was twelve."

Severus frowned. "So you had a criminal record?"

His father jerked his head. "Yeah. Course that's how Dad wanted it. If he'd steal anything, he'd look at serious time. Me—I could steal and just get a few days here and there in detention, and a caseworker who'd pat me on the head telling me not to do it again. Boys will be boys was the old saying they'd use. Boys will be boys."

Could that have been it? Was Severus just genetically predisposed to criminal behavior? No. That was asinine. Everything that had led him to this life had been due to his actions. Chloe proved that. He had no one to blame but himself.

"When I was thirteen/fourteen, Dad realized I was good at cards. So, he'd take me to this little dive over on 19th to play with the boys." Tobias shrugged. "I'd play there once a week. At least at first. My first game I made over a hundred pounds. He was so proud that day. Bought me my very own pocket knife."

Severus blinked as a distant memory stirred in his mind. "You used that knife to make those little figurines you'd give Mum sometimes, right?" He caught his father's wide grin instantly.

"That's right." Tobias laughed quietly. "I caught her drawing the things when she was pregnant with you. She'd just stare at the damn things for hours on end, no care in the world. So, I figured that I'd try my hand at making one just once." His grin widened somewhat. "Only time I seen her smile as big as the day she first held you in her arms, son."

Severus nodded slowly. He could feel the warmth and love in his father's voice. It didn't make sense, though. His father abandoned them. Granted, it seemed to be due to the Aurors' belief that Tobias had killed people in a pub, but for years there had been—

"I don't understand. This doesn't make sense, Dad. None of it. You—you left us." Severus stared at his father, feeling his breathing become shaky. "I found Mum at the table that morning, crying. She said you had left for good, and that you weren't coming back ever. She had a note, Dad."

Tobias reared back instantly. "Note? Son, I didn't write no damn note saying any of that shit. I swear on my life I didn't."

"I saw it, though."

"I don't know what ya saw, Severus, but I didn't write no note saying that I was leaving you and your mum. I wouldn't."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I now," Tobias admitted quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. "I asked to speak with your mother after they took me away. They refused. Said they couldn't risk me speaking and harming her. A day later, I got a public defender who said he worked out a deal. Said if I signed some papers and admitted to the murders, they'd take death off the table and give me a chance at parole with good behavior. Good behavior I can do." He then winced, rubbing his neck. "When it suits me at least."

"But she said that you knew you weren't allowed any visitors, to have contact with me," Severus argued, recalling Chloe's earlier words.

"Yeah, that's right." Tobias nodded. "That was in the fine print of the papers, though, son. I didn't read through any of it. The defender said it was a good deal, so I just signed, thinking it'd let me have a chance at seeing you one day."

"That's idiotic. Why wouldn't you have read them before you signed them?"

Tobias hung his head and closed his eyes, though.

"How could you have done something so stupid?" Severus snapped, glaring at his father. He couldn't believe it. His father had cost them, him, everything. "Mum would have fought for you if she knew the truth. She would've hired someone and gotten you out of that mess. Even if she was upset with you, she wouldn't have let the Ministry railroad you like that. How could you have been so stupid, Dad?" He scoffed when his father sat there silently. "Are you really that naïve to think the Ministry, that any law official, isn't above breaking the rules in order to close a case? If you had just read—"

"I couldn't, Severus," Tobias whispered. "I couldn't read it."

"Why the hell not? Because of your laziness, I—"

"It wasn't laziness," his father growled, standing up outraged. "I couldn't read it, Severus."

"What do you mean, you couldn't read it, Dad? The Ministry doesn't put it into hieroglyphs!"

"They might as well have!"

Severus clenched his jaw tightly to keep the anger inside for a moment. He couldn't believe his ears. How could his father have been so naïve and foolish? He would've have thought prior experience with law enforcement would have taught his father something, but _clearly_ that wasn't the case. A thought then occurred to him. What if he had this all wrong? What if his father wasn't saying he couldn't read it because the papers didn't make sense, but because he couldn't read in general? He stared at his father, unable to speak. _Oh._

"It was full of that mumbo jumbo stuff that they always have when it comes to breaking the law. That's all I recognized, though. Everything else was just" Tobias shrugged "foreign."

"You said you wrote Mum every day?" Severus asked quietly, watching his father nod slowly.

"That's right. Every day. I never knew if she ever got them, though. Seems like I got that answer now unfortunately."

" _You_ wrote them, though? Every day?"

Tobias's eyes narrowed on him in confusion. "That's what I'm saying, yeah. Why?"

"So, you can read? At least somewhat."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." Severus shook his head. What did it matter at this point anyway? His father had admitted that he couldn't read the papers the Ministry had coerced him to sign. What difference did it make if the reason he couldn't read them was because he was either illiterate or not versed in legal jargon? None whatsoever, really. "So, you signed the papers, thinking it'd make it so you could see us again. When did you learn the truth about what you actually signed?"

"As the defender was walking out the door." Tobias shrugged. "He thanked me for not fighting any of it, saying it'd have been a waste of time anyway based on the evidence they had against me. Git then said I did the right thing sparing you and your mum the embarrassment. I didn't know what he meant right then, though, so I asked him about it. That was when he said that the plea deal was me doing solitary confinement in some ratty old cell, getting the chance of parole after nine years of good behavior. I was thinking how it'd be a piece of cake. Nine years. You'd be nineteen, a young man. I mean, I'd miss most of you growing up, but nine years seemed doable. Until he said how I had just signed away custody of you to your mum. He told me how El couldn't bear to be married to a murderer like me, that she didn't want you anywhere near me anymore. And, well, shit, you know your mum. She'd rip a man's face off with her teeth if he came anywhere near you just to keep her Prince safe."

Severus closed his eyes. He was beyond confused. He clearly recalled finding his mother sitting at the kitchen table, clutching that hastily written note in her hands crying over it on his eleventh birthday. Things didn't match up with what his father was saying. His mother hadn't filed for divorce. She had spent that night trying to beg Severus for forgiveness, telling him how sorry she was for upsetting him so close to his birthday. She hadn't left his side once that night, no matter how hard the young ten-year-old tried to push her away. Well, not until he had to go unfortunately, that was.

"She didn't file for divorce. She wouldn't have had time for it. Not with trying to fix things with me," Severus stated, shaking his head in disbelief. Young children frequently misremembered things of their childhood, sure, but not that many things nor be that far off base either. Would they?

"I don't know what to say, son." Tobias shrugged, sighing heavily. "The papers I got, that I poured over the next few months, they were written by your mum's hand."

"But she didn't—"

"Don't take it as me blaming her, Severus," his father argued. "Cause I ain't. Not one bit. Your mum had every right to send those papers to me and get custody of you. I mean, it's the one thing that made sense out of all this. She would've done so to keep you safe. No matter the cost, son. You know your mum better than me at this point, so you know I'm speaking the truth."

Unfortunately, his father was right. His mother would have stopped at nothing to protect him. It was the main reason why he had kept the truth about Roger from her. He knew the moment he told her that Roger had been beating him that he would have been the one responsible for breaking his mother's heart once more. It wasn't her fault that she had fallen in love with a child abuser. Not at all.

"Plus, it sounds like Roger makes her happy, so . . ."

Severus couldn't hold back his loud scoff and eye roll.

"Hey, don't be like that. I know you two don't see eye-to-eye for some reason, but—"

"Oh, really? And how do you know that exactly?"

Tobias shrugged his shoulders. "Your mum wrote to me a few months after you ran away."

Severus blinked. Eileen had written to her seemingly murderous ex-husband to ask about him? Odd. He had thought at the time she was too blind in love with Roger to notice him anymore.

"She was worried sick about you. Told me to write her if you came to see me. You didn't of course, but I told her that if you had, I promised to send ya back to her right away."

"Another promise you broke," Severus pointed out bitterly.

"Yeah, well, you're an adult now the way I see it. Free to make your own mistakes. And, well, it ain't like I got a forwarding address for your mum anyway anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Last message I ever got from her was this album," Tobias stated, motioning to the leather-bound photo album Chloe had given him prior to their leaving. "There was a note, too, that told me to keep it safe for her while she and Roger were away on vacation. And that had to be, shit, a year or two ago. All my letters since get returned, unopened."

"But you said that you weren't to have contact with—"

Tobias shrugged. "Since when did I ever not bend the rules, son?" When Severus rolled his eyes, his father merely laughed before he continued. "Chloe would chide me for sending them, saying that it was futile. But I had to try, you know? Just to make sure that El knew she wasn't alone. She sent one of my letters for me once, Chloe I mean. Guess it was to try and trap you, though, looking back on it now."

"Did Mum every reply?"

"Nah. The three messages I ever got from her were one-sided only. She made no mentioning of my letters. But that's all right. I was just happy to hear that she was all right."

Severus nodded slowly, digesting this new information. He knew without a doubt in his mind that his mother hadn't had the time to send divorce papers the day of Severus's tenth birthday. So, how was it then that his father supposedly received papers bearing Eileen's hand exactly? Had someone forged them to get Tobias out of the way for some reason? Or was it that his father was lying to him?

He pressed his lips together firmly, deep in thought. What would his father gain by lying to him? Sympathy? The chance to turn Severus against his mother? No, none of that made sense if one took into consideration that his father hadn't asked for sympathy. Not to mention that Tobias hadn't said a bad word about Eileen since Severus and Harrison's arrival. So, that led to the former then; someone had forged the divorce papers to get Tobias out of the way for some reason. But why and who?

Severus's gut cried Roger's name instantly at the 'who' part. Only that didn't make sense, though. Roger had worked with Tobias at the mill when it was still in operation. They weren't what one could say were friends, but Severus knew that his father had gone to the pub with the man more than a few times, much to Eileen's displeasure. However, the part that made it most unlikely the case was that Tobias never had any of his acquaintances or coworkers over at the house, or even at the diner where Eileen worked. So, how had Roger, who had never been introduced to Eileen before that time, learned Eileen's handwriting much less her syntax for the messages?

"You keep that up, and I'm gonna have to open a window to let out all the smoke, son," Tobias teased with a cheeky smirk. "So, go on then. Tell me what's got you thinking so intensely."

"I-it's nothing," Severus replied evasively. How could he even begin to start that conversation with his father?

"Bullshit. Now, come on. Tell me. Don't mince words with me. I'm a big boy. I can take it."

Severus blinked before shaking his head. He had forgotten how colorful his father was. Time had certainly faded that attribute in his mind.

"Really. It's nothing."

Tobias scoffed, rolling his eyes this time. "Son, you always were a wretched liar. Now, go on."

If only his father knew how skilled he had become at lying over the years . . .

"I was merely speculating who would want you out of the way. That's it."

"Well, shit, that's easy." Tobias gave a loud laugh. "Every damn person I ever swindled money out of at the pub. Or taught a lesson to. But I doubt any of them would have the guts to. Not to mention the brains that would have been required to pull something like that off."

"Wait, _what_?" Severus stared at his father, dumbfounded. "You considered that someone may have set you up, and you still signed that bogus plea deal?!" He couldn't believe it. Clearly, he had inherited his mother's intelligence.

"Did I consider it? Yeah, course I did. But do I think it happened? Hell, no. For the reasons I just told you. None of them would have had the balls to do it."

"What about Roger?"

"What about him?" Tobias replied with a half-scoff of disbelief.

"After you left, he came by the house a lot, saying that he wanted to help Mum and stuff. He'd give us money and . . ." Severus shrugged. "About ten months after you disappeared, Mum and he were dating. Like everything was wonderful in the world." The twenty-one-year-old tried to keep the deep-seeded anger at bay, but he could tell he was failing.

"Bitterness ain't a good look on you, son. Just so you know."

"It's not bitterness!" Severus snapped before he clamped his mouth shut tightly.

"Then, what is it?" his father asked quietly, every bit of him displaying seriousness now.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Severus shook his head, his eyes falling onto Harrison who had been watching a butterfly fluttering on the window. When he felt his father's rough hand lightly grasp his chin and turn his head back towards Tobias, he couldn't help but tense out of instinct.

Tobias made no motion that he had noticed the flinch, though. He merely said in a cool, firm voice, "Talk to me, Severus."

"You'll just say that it's bitterness again," the young man replied, wincing inwardly at hearing the sound of his own harsh voice. There had been a time when he would have never spoken like that to anyone, much less his father. Oh, how the years had hardened him.

"Bitterness doesn't usually make a person flinch," Tobias bluntly stated.

Severus closed his eyes instantly, wishing that he was anywhere but there. He felt his father release his chin soon after, forcing him to reopen his eyes and stare at the older man.

"Tell me the truth. Did he lay a hand on you? Did he touch you?"

If they had been talking about anything else, Severus may have smiled just slightly at hearing the protectiveness and caring of his wellbeing in his father's voice.

"He didn't . . ." Severus's voice faltered slightly as he swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat. "He cared for Mum." As if that statement explained everything that Roger had put him through and wrapped it all up into a nice bow. He was beyond pathetic. Honestly.

"That don't make it right, son, and you know that."

"I didn't say it was right!" Severus replied through clenched teeth, his temper getting the better of him momentarily. "I just—his hitting me doesn't matter now. He got what he wanted; he has Mum all to himself, and she has him. The end."

"Oh, it sure as hell ain't _the end_. Not until I knock that bastard so hard his ancestors feel it," Tobias growled, mirroring his son in holding back his own temper. He then shook his head, running a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "Did El know? Ah, hell, what am I saying? Of course she didn't know. She'd have gutted him right then and there with a spoon."

Severus couldn't help but laugh quietly. His father was likely right. Eileen was known for being fierce. So, killing someone with a spoon was not out of the question for her, given the right circumstances.

"So, I take it after all this happened and you ran, that's when you joined these bad guys? Dead Eaters or whatever?"

"Death Eaters," Severus quietly corrected as he slowly shook his head. "No. I, I joined them before leaving that last time."

Tobias whistled instantly, causing the young man to glance at him in confusion. "It's just I don't see how any of that could be, son. I mean, shit, your mum knew whenever I called out sick and went to the pub instead. And here you are, telling me that after I was gone that she just stopped noticing things? That sure as hell don't sound right to me. Because the El I know would have sure as hell noticed you getting into a bad crowd and setting you on the straight and narrow five seconds after you even thought about joining them."

"Yeah, well, after you left, she picked up a lot of extra shifts at the diner, so she wasn't really around much. She tried to be, but having food and roof over our heads were more important."

Tobias sighed somberly. "I'm sorry, son."

"What for? It wasn't your fault."

"It was, though. If I had just did as your mum asked instead of—"

"Really, Dad. Stop," Severus said, holding up his free hand. He then shook his head with a heavy sigh. "A girl I knew at Hogwarts said to me once that if we spent all our time on the 'what ifs' in life, we'd never truly live."

"Smart girl."

"Yeah, she is." The young man then glanced at Harrison.

"She still around, that girl you used to know?"

Severus nodded slowly. "As far as I know. We're not really close if that's what you're thinking." She was more of an annoyance in his eyes, truth be told. However, he wasn't one to tell his father that.

"It wasn't. I was just wondering about your friends and stuff. Since we went through my amazing life story after all," Tobias half-joked.

"There's not really much to tell."

"So it'll be a short story then." His father shrugged. "I'll still listen to it anyway."

The young man sighed heavily. "All right. Well, you left, so Mum started working more. I spent most of my time over at the Evans's house with…" He felt a sudden surge of anger at just the mere thought of Lily that he quickly suppressed. "Roger would come around every now and then. Mum mostly sent him away, saying we didn't need his charity. But, you know, he still came anyway."

"You got your letter it sounds like and went off to that school your mum went to."

"Yeah. I got it in the summer. Mum took me to get all my stuff and send me off."

"Was it all you were hoping for? That fancy school you'd used to go on to me about?"

Severus shrugged.

"What's that mean?" Tobias said, mimicking his son's shrug.

"It was… different, I guess."

"Different? Now, what the hell does that mean?"

"It was school, Dad. That's it."

"School?" Tobias repeated with a scoff. "Son, Pembroke is a school. This place was a damn magical castle that—"

"I didn't fit in, okay?" Severus snapped, cutting his father off. "I didn't fit in, and some other stuff happened, and it wasn't what I had imagined it to be."

His father's eyes narrowed on him. "What are you saying here? That you got into some schoolyard brawls? That sort of thing?"

"In a way, but it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done. No use crying over spilled milk now about it."

"Severus," his father said calmly, giving him a familiar 'Out with it' look.

"Dad, look—"

"No. You look. You started this conversation by trying to get to know me. So, go on. Let me in and tell me about yourself. Nothing you say will make me love you any less, son. Promise you that. And I know. I suck at promises, but it's the truth."

The twenty-one-year-old groaned, laying back against the sofa and closing his eyes.

"Come on, son. Just tell me."

"Why? What difference could it possibly make?" Severus grumbled.

"It'd give me a glimpse into the man I see before me. Now, out with it. Before I have to use my secret powers."

Severus's head snapped towards his father. "What secret powers?"

"If I told you that, then they wouldn't be a secret anymore. Now, out with it."

"I don't think you do have secret powers."

"Try me."

He frowned, staring at his father. What secret powers could his father really have? Magic? Chloe had told them that earlier. So, then what was it?

"Do you really want to take that risk, son? Going up against me and my secret powers just to avoid telling me some bad news?"

Severus remained strong, though. He had no intention of letting his father in on that part of his life. Not fully.

"Even your mother couldn't resist my powers. And you know El."

Hearing Harrison's soft gurgle, Severus glanced down at the little boy. At the sight of Harrison's 'You better tell him' look, Severus glanced away with a wince. It'd seem even Harrison wanted him to tell Tobias and not risk it. Sighing silently, the young man's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"There was a kid in my class who liked Evans, like I did. Only I couldn't tell her that I liked her. That and he thought he was Merlin's gift to the world. We honestly hated each other's guts. He had this little gang of idiots who'd follow him around, and more than a few times we'd cross paths and…fight. Only he didn't fight fair most of the time. So, with that git and his friends around giving me a hard time, it wasn't the paradise I thought it'd be."

"Your teachers knew?"

Severus scoffed. "Oh, yes. They knew. But Saint Potter could do no wrong in their eyes. I'm actually rather impressed he didn't get awarded points for it."

"Sounds like I should give a few of them a piece of my mind," Tobias stated gruffly.

"It won't do any good."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Because Potter's dead now, forever memorialized as a saint." He then sighed heavily. "After I left, I never saw him again." Unless one counted the stupid wedding announcement and later birth announcement of their son, which he didn't. Severus's words then echoed around the room as Harrison cooed and tugged on his sleeves. He couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt. "Actually, that isn't fair."

"Huh? What isn't?"

Severus glanced down at Harrison before he spoke. "My anger at him. He may have been a git to me for seven years and made my life hell, but he didn't deserve to be murdered." He pushed back Harrison's hair softly. "He died protecting his family. That's sort of honorable."

"Eh, maybe, but I'm still partial to saying he was a prick who needed a good punch to the face."

The young man snorted before his eyes darted back to his father. "You asked me about my friends earlier." Severus shrugged. "I don't have any. Not really. I hung around a few people at Hogwarts, but it was mostly because I felt powerful around them. I wasn't really close to them, though. And Evans, well, the minute she got to Hogwarts and around others, I wasn't special anymore."

"What about that other girl you talked about?"

Severus sighed. "She was a year behind me. We weren't close. I'd tutor her every now and then when Slughorn forced me to. She was…all right, I guess."

"She was all right?" Tobias repeated slowly.

"Yeah, as in she didn't make my life hell like everyone else."

"Sounds like just the girl for you, Severus."

The young man rolled his eyes. "I'm not looking for that. I've got enough on my plate without having to worry about silly girls. Much less ones who are off in Italy or somewhere."

"All right. All right. I was just saying." Tobias then shrugged. "Because, you know, sometimes a man's got an itch that he's got to scratch and, well…"

Severus grimaced instantly. "Yes, well, as you can see, Dad, that itch has been scratched." His eyes darted down to Harrison.

"Yeah, and it wasn't a protective scratch either, it sounds like."

He groaned loudly. "Dad!"

"Though, I'll give you this, son. You made one hell of a lad."

Slowly, Severus turned back to his father. "Thanks." Even if Harrison wasn't really his, that thought was nice to hear.

"Any time." Tobias then clapped his hands. "Now, what do you say to lunch?" However, before Severus could answer, there was a sharp knock at the front door. "Or not."


	13. Beyond all Repair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. It's been awhile, hasn't it? Sorry about the long wait, my dear readers. Be forewarned that this chapter does have some heartbreaking moments towards the end. At least I found them heartbreaking while writing it. Wishing you and yours a very wonderful new year. Enjoy.

Pulling his traveling cloak tighter around himself, Severus trudged through the heavy rain towards the tiny village tucked away from the world. His mind kept returning to the Cloud's parting words about the seductive nature of the Horcruxes he hunted. He had already proven in his timeline, and this one as well for that matter, that he had an unfortunate weakness concerning the Dark Arts. How would he combat them this time and not give in, as he had done before? Sighing heavily, he shook his head and cast away all thoughts. They weren't helping anyhow.

After his wife and unborn child's deaths, Severus had spent a year and a month planning out this exact journey he was on now. He knew the Horcruxes by heart, what they were and approximately where they could be found. He had poured over every bit of information the boy divulged during his St. Mungo's stay. He had studied the Dark objects relentlessly, obsessing to the point of madness after his family had been ripped away from him.

The first thoughts of this difficult path he would travel came two days after his family's deaths. His father had stayed with him to make sure that he wasn't alone. It was during a quiet moment that Tobias suggested Severus should try to get his mind off his terrible losses and handed him the first book he came across, which happened to be Severus's wife's journal of all things unbeknownst to Tobias. At first, Severus resisted, the pain in his chest overwhelming. However, as he continued to stare mindlessly at his wife's elegant cursive, he strangely felt slightly better, feeling her presence around him again. Slowly, he began to read her journal, letting her words fill him up with her overwhelming warmth. It wasn't long before he read the whole thing, desperate to find some way to bring her back in it.

Most of her writing was on her theory. But there were times, likely when she couldn't think of anything to add to her theory, where she wrote her thoughts about little meaningless events of her day that others would have overlooked. Then again, her research focused on how to influence meaningless moments in one's past and change those outcomes positively for the future, or as he liked to call it, her "overly-complicated, headache-inducing what-if' theory.

However, the feeling of completeness he felt after reading her journal faded soon after. Like an addict, he reread it and reread it night after night until her words were engrained in his very soul. It wasn't enough, though. In fact, he soon started to feel emptier after every reading of her journal, as it slowly became more apparent that his wife and child weren't coming back ever again. That they were truly gone.

After his fourth reading of her journal, his father commented that if there was a spell Tobias could cast to bring them back, he would do it in a heartbeat. At first, Severus was enraged at his father, but then the words started to sink in. A spell. And just like that, it clicked. The crucial part her research had overlooked.

For the next few weeks, he buried himself with learning everything he could about time and Time Turners. More than a few times, his father had to drag him away and force him to return to life. Though, Severus wouldn't remain away for far too long. He couldn't. Not when there was a chance to undo all of the pain he felt inside. A chance to make it right.

The letters soon started coming, then. The first letter was from his mother, who wished to see him. He denied her straight away, informing her that he wasn't ready to see her yet. The second letter was from Harry, who reiterated that whatever Severus needed, Harry would get him. He sent no reply back, having not known what to ask for other than his family. The third letter was from Luna Lovegood, who had, of course, expressed her condolences once again but also in her usual style left him with her brutal honesty of how the darkness had touched everyone's lives in some way, leaving behind scars that could have been prevented if only a few things had been done differently.

After Lovegood's letter, he stopped paying attention to the post, as Luna was right like always. If Dumbledore had not gone to the orphanage to retrieve the boy who would become the Dark Lord, there would have never been a Voldemort, as the boy never would have learned control. If he himself had come clean and told Harry that he had to act like a complete arse in order to maintain his cover, Harry might have trusted him and learned Occlumency, thereby preventing Sirius Black's death. So many things could have been prevented with just a few changes. Clearly, letting the many lies linger in the darkness hadn't worked, so forcing the terrible truths into the light this time was the answer. It had to be.

So, that was what Severus was doing, forcing the terrible truths into the light. He started with telling his past self of how manipulative and cold Dumbledore would become, giving himself the advantage he hadn't had until the very end when he couldn't even use it. Next, he went to Dumbledore, forcing the old man to see the brutal truth of what his actions had cost them all in the end. He'd admit that some of it was just to hurt Dumbledore and make him feel the pain he felt now, but it wasn't the only reason. He needed the old man to see the consequences of his meddling, to see the harm that he had done in order to keep him from doing it again. The destruction of the Horcruxes was another truth forced into the light, because he knew the Dark Lord's terrible secret since he had lived it all before. And then there was the final truth, the one he was still admittedly coming to terms with as it was one that he found himself wrestling against. But that would be much later . . . after he had succeeded in destroying every last Horcrux and destroyed the Dark Lord once and for all.

Up ahead, Severus saw just a bit of light from a street lantern. He had made it to town finally. He continued walking, ignoring the ache in his legs and the cold in his bones. His eyes glanced back and forth at the buildings on either side of him before he finally found the one he had been looking for and stopped walking. He inhaled deeply, forcing the air into his lungs. He could have surely chosen another way than this one, but he had realized long back on his walk that he had become thirsty and hungry.

Pushing open the door to the village's pub, Severus walked into the Hanged Man and noticed the quiet chatter inside quickly die upon his entering. He glanced down at the floor, lowering his hood instantly before he continued towards the counter, where a man stood behind looking at him curiously. Once he had reached the bar, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a few coins, setting them on top of the counter.

"I don't suppose this will buy me a pint, will it?" Severus asked quietly, glancing at the barkeep.

The man chuckled softly. "Nah, but I'll see what I can do for you anyway." The barkeep shrugged. "After all, you look like a man who needs a good drink to warm up."

"Or two," Severus commented under his breath before he nodded his thanks. He glanced around the pub, noticing that everyone else was looking at him strangely. Though, that was how small towns operated. A stranger was always under scrutiny until he passed a test. His father had taught him that long ago in one of the pubs in Cokeworth. It had been before his father's disappearance. "I'm sorry, but am I intruding or something?" he asked, turning back towards the barkeep, who had set down his drink.

"No," the barkeep replied with a shrug. "Just we don't get a lot of folks out here in Little Hangleton. Most stay up in the city." He jerked his head in the general direction of Great Hangleton.

"Oh. Well, I was headed there actually." When the barkeep's eyes narrowed suspiciously, he added not missing a beat, "I know. It's strange. You see, my damn horse bolted with all this blasted rain back somewhere over that way. Must have been spooked by that old house." Severus jerked his head before he took a long swig from his glass. "I've been telling my wife for years that we should have just gotten rid of the damn horse, but you know how wives are." He heard the quiet laughs behind him. "I must've gotten turned around, though. I thought it was just a straight shot to the north of me. Guess I should've waited longer, but, well, the breeder said that he needed me to sign the papers or some such rubbish this week. Why he couldn't send them in the post, I'll never know."

"Breeder? What do you need a breeder for?" someone called out behind him.

Slowly, Severus swiveled around. "My wife thought before we had kids that we should get a puppy. Because, supposedly, raising a puppy and a baby are pretty similar," he joked, feeling the ache in his chest grow even bigger. It had been one of his wife's wishes for them to have a dog, but he had never gotten around to buying one before her death. He had mistakenly thought they had more time than what had been allowed.

"Awe," said one of the women in the pub. "How sweet. What sort of puppy is it?"

"Labrador. Little fluffy thing about this big." He gestured with his hands. "She saw him in the paper and fell in love. So, here I am, cold, wet, and thirsty."

"You didn't think to take a car?" someone towards the back asked.

He shrugged, though. "I would have, if I had a car. Wife's, well, she's a bit . . . unique, but I love her all the more for it."

"Seems like she's got you by the balls, lad," a man joked before he tossed back his drink.

"Isn't that what true love is all about, though?" Severus replied flatly. "Trusting a person wholeheartedly and accepting all their faults?" He caught several murmurs of agreement. "Anyway, I shouldn't be bothering any of you." He turned back, giving a faint smile to the barkeep. "Thanks for the drink." He stood up a moment later. "Which way did you say the city is again?"

"Up that way, but I'd wait until morn if I were you," the barkeeper replied, jerking his head towards the window that showed the heavy downpour and occasional flash of lightning outside. "Not to mention, you never know what sorts of things you'll run into in the dark. Particularly the ones over by the old Riddle manner."

Severus forced a chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. Don't suppose you've got a hotel in the area, do you?"

"Not exactly, but I do have a spare room upstairs. But it's not free, lad."

"Wouldn't expect it to be." He then put down the rest of the Muggle money he had on him. "That's all I got, though. Sorry."

The barkeep only shrugged, though, taking his money. "Just go up those stairs. It'll be the first room on your left."

Severus followed where the man was pointing before he nodded and headed off towards the rickety old stairs. It would have been much easier to have just snuck into the Gaunt shack obviously, but he didn't want to risk anyone seeing him and asking questions. All it took was one person seeing him and relaying it back to the Dark Lord, and all would be lost again. No. It was easier this way. Staying above the pub would offer him an alibi later. Not to mention, it gave him a place to lay his head down for a bit. Which is what he did for a few hours as he waited for the drunks to get drunker and more obnoxious than before.

The shack of Gaunt. There was no telling what sort of obstacles he would run into there. Harry hadn't had any real details, since it had been Dumbledore who had actually retrieved the ring. However, Severus could imagine what sorts of horrors Voldemort would have left behind to protect the Horcrux.

" _Not so tough now, are ya, Snape?"_ a gruff voice from the past hissed in his mind as a memory suddenly flashed behind his eyes. _"Uh-huh. Move and I'll paint the walls with her blood. Got it?"_

He inhaled sharply. Not this. Anything but this . . It took every last bit of strength in him to push the heartbreaking memory away. Once it was gone, he found himself sitting with his back against the wall, shaking horribly. His hands came up and covered his face as he exhaled loudly. Why now? Why had that terrible thought appeared now of all times? He needed to think happy thoughts . . . or at the very least no-so-emotionally charged thoughts.

Regaining control of himself after a few minutes, Severus slowly pushed himself up off the floor to stand. He didn't have time to be sitting and wallowing in his grief. He had a mission to do. One that would erase all the pain and blood that had been shed over the years.

Hearing the rowdy drunks downstairs, he knew it was time. He locked the door and propped a chair underneath the doorknob, too, for good measure before he headed towards the window. The storm hadn't let up any, which he supposed was good news for him. It'd provide him with the necessary cover to pull this off.

He pulled his traveling cloak further around him and opened the window. There was no one in the streets, but then again all of Little Hangleton was probably at the pub like all other small towns. He knew he couldn't Apparate so close to a large Muggle population, so he'd have to do this the hard way. He certainly had a lot of practice climbing out of windows in his youth. With a slight nod, he then proceeded to climb out the window, minding the metal that he knew was slippery from the rain. The exact second he felt himself start to slip, he regretted his decision to stay there and not just slip inside the shack and destroy the Horcrux. Luck, however, was on his side and allowed him to catch himself. He hopped back down onto the ground a moment later and then quickly ran off towards the shack.

As he approached the rundown shack, he grimaced. The place was clear fodder for nightmares. He slipped inside silently, taking a moment to regain his bearings before carefully walking around and searching for the ring.

" _You seem shocked to see us, Snape. Doesn't he, Roddy?"_ the gruff voice in his mind suddenly said once more, as the memory returned.

" _What's the matter, hmm? Cat got your tongue?"_ mocked another male voice. _"Here. Let me loosen that for you._ _ **Crucio!**_ _"_

" _SEVERUS!"_ His wife's distant scream echoing in his mind.

" _ **Silencio,**_ _bitch!"_

" _Let her go! Your conflict is with me. Not her."_

" _Eh, he makes a valid point. Maybe we should let the little whore go."_

" _On the other hand . . ."_ A loud and sickening sound then filled the air.

Severus shook once more, trapped in the never-ending nightmare from his past. The smell, the terrible smell of blood, filled his nostrils. Even though he knew it was only a memory, he felt sick yet again. Just like he had before that terrible day.

"No . . ." he whispered with a shaky breath. Playing tricks on him, his mind showed him his wife's body as she lay in their bed with a knife protruding out of her chest.

" _So long, traitor!"_ the male voices mocked as the two men faded away.

His eyes remained glued to his wife, helpless as he watched the blood pour out of her wounds. The tears stung once more.

"No . . ." he cried.

" _Shh,"_ she whispered, holding his eyes. _"Don't . . . cry, love."_ She drew in a rattling breath, the blood clearly filling in her lungs as she coughed and sputtered for a moment. _"It's . . . all right."_

His eyes closed as she, too, faded. It was the Horcrux. It had to be. It knew he was there. Why he was there. With anger and hatred in his heart, he clenched his jaw, his resolve returning instantly. It wouldn't win this time.

Like a mad man, he searched every nook and cranny in that house of horrors before he finally found it. The moment he saw it, he angrily drew a vial from his pocket and uncorked it. He then proceeded to pour the liquid over the ugly, black ring. As it hissed and shook and melted, he watched it dissolve. His eyes remained trained on it even after the black darkness of Riddle's dark soul screeched its freedom and disappeared. Destroyed beyond all magical repair . . . check.


	14. House Guest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only five months since our last update. :D I've now since finished my other WIP, so updates for this fic should (fingers crossed) be quicker now. I've reread through all of your wonderful reviews and comments for this fic, gaining the much needed energy to get back into the swing of things with this story. I know that some of you are confused by what's going on in this story so far, but all will be explained. In fact, I've got a separate document that contains all the mysteries (with the answers) I've so far brought up just to make sure that I do answer your questions. So, with that said, I thank all of you for hopefully sticking with me and putting up with the long wait. Enjoy.

Frowning as he drew his wand, Severus gave a curt nod to his father, who had waited until Severus's signal to open the front door. It wasn't possible that his owl had reached Hogwarts already. Owls were quick, but not that quick. So, who then was at the door? Another Auror who tracked them there? A Death Eater perhaps? Once Tobias opened the door and revealed who it was, Severus felt his jaw drop slightly before he quickly recovered. What in the world was _she_ doing here?

"Good morning," stated a familiar older, stern-looking woman wearing forest green robes. Behind her square-rimmed glasses, her green eyes found Severus a moment later. "Might I come in for a spot of tea, Severus?"

Tobias turned back towards his son, who again nodded. He then stepped aside soon after, allowing Minerva McGonagall inside.

"How can we help you?" Severus asked quietly, instinctively stepping closer to Harrison when McGonagall's eyes narrowed on the young toddler.

Turning back towards him, she frowned. "Strange. I wasn't aware you had a son."

His heart raced in response to her suspicion-laced words. She would be sure to tell Dumbledore of her findings once she left. He just knew it. And once Dumbledore knew, it was all over then. Severus would surely find himself in Azkaban for certain now, forever a failure.

"Eh, my fault there, lass," Tobias spoke up with a quiet chuckle. "The lad's been stayin' with me as Sev settles in." He then took a step closer to Severus as he spoke. "That, and, well, I'm certain I don't need to tell you this, but my boy's still comin' to terms with this whole thing. I didn't exactly leave him with a good example, you know?" he stated, giving Severus a hard clap on the back before Tobias turned back to her. "Now, how about we cut to the chase and you tell us why yer here, lass?"

McGonagall seemed to consider Tobias's explanation for a bit before she finally nodded in acceptance a few minutes later. "I was asked here by Professor Dumbledore." Judging by her respectful tone towards Tobias, it was clear to Severus that she was not aware of Tobias's supposed criminal past.

Having been given the much needed respite with his father's explanation, Severus couldn't help but scoff in disbelief, though. She was asked by Dumbledore? Impossible. "Since when has it been possible for an owl to reach Hogwarts from here in just an hour's time?" he asked with a challenging raised brow. There was no way Dumbledore had received Severus's earlier message when he, Tobias, and Harrison first arrived. Perhaps four hours from then, yes he could see it, but not now.

"It wasn't an owl that alerted him," she replied simply. When Tobias looked towards his son doubtfully, she continued. "A Patronus was sent by an Auror, who stated that you and your father had been attacked in Cokeworth by Death Eaters and would be needing assistance." She then held up a hand, as if she could already guess what Severus was going to say. "Before you even ask, I knew you were here because Professor Dumbledore did. You see, once he had heard the Auror's message, he sent me here to this safe house to check on you. Now, as to how he knew you were here, well, if I were to guess, I would imagine he placed a tracker on you at some point, Severus." She then lowered her voice before she said under her breath, "Not that I blame him."

Severus clenched his jaw and glared. There was the age old prejudice rearing its ugly head again. "Why is that? Because I'm a Slytherin and not one of your precious little Lions?" he sneered.

Minerva's eyes flashed dangerously. "No," she snapped. "I wouldn't blame him, because even I find it odd that you mysteriously leave the castle on the very night that Lily, James, and their son are found murdered in Godric's Hollow!" She raised her head up slightly. "You may have forgotten the past, Severus Snape, but I surely have not. I am well aware of your feelings concerning James and—"

Unable to hold his temper back at her accusations, Severus shot back, "My feelings have little to do with their murders, McGonagall! And you're wrong. You've always been wrong, you foolish old woman! I didn't start it with Potter. He did! But, of course, as always, your precious little Lions could do no wrong. Especially not your favorites," he spat, glaring at her with daggers.

"Son," Tobias quietly said, gently resting his hand on Severus's arm. "It ain't worth it."

He wasn't so certain about that. Finally getting the words out he had wanted to say to her since the start of the school year was somewhat cleansing. However, once he heard the hushed whimpering beside him, Severus quickly understood why his father had cut in. His anger was upsetting Harrison. It was strange to think how quickly he was starting to take to the boy. Yet, there he was, beginning to notice the slight changes in the boy's behavior and adapt accordingly to those changes.

"Is that what you want to hear, Snape?" she replied brusquely, crossing her arms defensively. "That I was wrong in my actions, or rather inactions in this case, concerning their treatment of you?" She shook her head and pressed her lips tighter together when Severus remained silent. "I suppose you blame me for your joining the Death Eaters, too. That if I had just overlooked my obvious prejudices concerning my own house, you may have grown into a rather fine man, hmm?"

"No," Severus answered through clenched teeth. He wasn't that deluded to think it had been all her fault. "But you could have at least given a damn about the other students not from Gryffindor just once. After all, we both know I wasn't the only target of their _harmless_ fun."

She took a step back instantly. "You truly believe I didn't care?" she asked, seemingly horrified. "I punished them as severely as one could, short of canning them. When it became clear to me, however, that my punishments weren't being taken seriously, I handed them over to Professor Dumbledore."

"Where they were awarded with sweets for their misdeeds, no doubt," Severus sneered.

"If you truly believe that, then—"

"Black tried to have me murdered! Or have you forgotten that quaint little fact, Professor?" As his words swirled around them, he instantly felt the change in the room. McGonagall looked paler than she had ever looked before, clutching her chest as she stared back at him shocked. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his father staring at him as well with a saddened look.

"What do you mean, 'tried to have you murdered?" McGonagall asked breathlessly.

Upon witnessing her reaction and noting her obvious surprise, Severus drew in a shallow breath. Was it possible that Dumbledore hadn't informed her as Severus had assumed? Could it be that only Severus, Dumbledore, Black, and Potter knew the truth? Surely someone had informed the other staff members about a student nearly dying, right?

"Black told me how to get past the Whomping Willow in order to see what Pomfrey and Lupin were up to," Severus answered calmly a moment later, watching McGonagall's face very closely. "So, I did as Black instructed." It felt like all the weight of the world was coming off him finally. "Only Potter decided to be noble for once and pulled me back before I ended up dead at the hands of his _furry_ friend." At seeing McGonagall's face morph from surprise to outrage and knowing in his heart that her outrage was directed for him, he felt something strange stir inside him. He couldn't explain what it was, though.

"You . . .Why wasn't I informed of this?" she demanded.

Severus bit his cheek to keep from responding how that was a good question. Instead, he replied soon after, "You'd have to ask Professor Dumbledore." At this point, he hoped she _did_ ask Dumbledore. It would be good to see someone finally stand up for him for once. He then grimaced when an image of a dark-haired witch from his past flashed in his mind. On second thought, someone who wasn't a starry-eyed twit lusting after the bad boy, he amended a moment later.

Closing her eyes, McGonagall hung her head somberly. Regret hung about her like an old friend.

"I apologize, Severus," she said quietly after the silence had gone on awkwardly. "I wasn't aware of that." Her arms fell to her sides before she glanced at him. "If I had known . . ." She closed her eyes again, brushing at her cheek briefly. "You're right to be angry with me." Her eyes then met his. "I should've done more. Clearly."

Severus, however, turned his back to her, electing instead to picking Harrison up. He didn't like the emotions that her apologies were eliciting in him currently. Disappointment had mixed with sadness now. The earlier anger and contempt had faded away with her admission. Sighing silently, he brushed back the toddler's hair, closing his eyes when he saw the kind green eyes staring back at him.

"I failed you," McGonagall stated bluntly. "You and the others who passed through our doors whom we were entrusted to care for. I failed all of you."

"Yes, well, your apologies do very little good now, don't they?" Severus replied harshly. When Harrison cocked his head to the side curiously a moment later, the message was understood. Dwelling on past wounds wouldn't do anyone any good. They had to move on. Or at least that was what Severus thought Harrison was thinking.

"Uh, lass, not to interrupt yer pity party or nothin', but do you or Bumblebee or whatever know what happened tonight in Cokeworth?" Tobias asked softly, steering the conversation into less dangerous territory.

McGonagall stood up a bit taller, accepting the offered respite. "Other than you three being attacked, you mean?" When Tobias inclined his head, she shook her head slightly. "Albus didn't really elaborate. He just asked me to come here, check on you, and deliver some things for him."

"Deliver some things?" Severus repeated, his brows coming together. That was the first he had heard her say that. His lips pursed as he watched McGonagall pull out a thin rectangular box from her robes then. What on earth would the old man be giving them? When she offered the box a moment later, he set Harrison down on the sofa again and carefully removed the box's lid. "A wand?" He glanced from the ornate wand in the box to her. "I have a perfectly good wand now. Why would I need another?" he stated, frowning.

In truth, Severus actually had two wands. He carried a twelve-and-a-half inch, hawthorn, dragon heartstring wand with him at all times nowadays, which he used primarily for Death Eater functions and other dark reasons. His other wand was what Ollivander had declared as his true wand during his first trip to Diagon Alley. Though, Severus didn't hold much stock in that, seeing as how his so-called 'true' wand usually felt uncomfortable in his hand. But Ollivander had always laughed off Severus's concerns, explaining Severus would likely grow into it. Almost ten years later, Severus clearly still hadn't grown into the thirteen-and-three-quarters inch, ebony, phoenix wand yet.

"He merely stated that you would understand," McGonagall replied with a shrug.

He would understand? Severus's eyes returned to the offered wand, noticing the carved in cluster of berries running down its length. Upon further inspection, he decided it was a carving of elderberries.

"Though, why he's giving you his wand is beyond me," she commented quietly.

His heart stopped briefly. This had been Dumbledore's wand? It didn't make a bit of sense. Why would the old man give Severus the wand he had won from Grindelwald? Unless . . . had Severus's future self done something that Severus himself wasn't aware of yet?

"He also wanted me to give you this as well." She pulled out another box from her robes, enlarging it a moment later before she held it out to him. "He stated that you should use it well."

Severus blinked before he slowly took off the box's lid. The faint silvery gray cloth shimmered slightly inside, the light catching it just right. He pinched the slippery cloth between his fingers and pulled it up a moment later.

"Strange," he heard her whisper beside him. He too shared her sentiments.

"Well, shit, that's gonna come in handy, ain't it?" Tobias remarked as he whistled approvingly. "Just don't go usin' it in the ladies' room, you hear, son?"

When Severus's eyes darted to his father and caught the older man's wicked grin, he scowled. As if he would ever do something juvenile. He wasn't James Potter after all. He then paused as it slowly dawned on him. Had Potter used this same Invisibility Cloak during their years at Hogwarts? If so, then it would certainly clear up a few things that had been unanswered over the years, namely how Potter had learned Severus's spells. But why would Dumbledore give him Potter's Invisibility Cloak as well?

At the feel of a hard tug on the cloak a moment later, Severus realized that answer too. Harrison. Somehow Dumbledore had figured out the truth about the boy. That Severus had—or rather his future self had—faked the toddler's death and given Harrison to him. But how? How was the question. How did Dumbledore know all of this?

"What else is there?" he inquired, looking back at McGonagall.

"Nothing. Those were the only things he gave me."

An Invisibility Cloak that likely had belonged to James Potter and Dumbledore's own wand? That was it? He shook his head. He didn't understand. His future self obviously would, but he didn't have the luxury of knowing the future. In fact, it barely seemed Severus knew the past at this point.

"Where is Dumbledore currently?" he asked a moment later. His eyes narrowed on her when he caught her instant look of pain. On second thought, her being there was odd, which is just what he alluded to next. "Why are you here and not him?"

"He's otherwise occupied, I'm afraid," she answered evenly, clearly holding back from explaining further. Severus was not about to let her off that easily, though.

"With what, Professor?"

"School business."

His eyes narrowed even more as he caught her lips thin even more and her eyes avoiding his. "You're lying. Where is Professor Dumbledore, Minerva? After all, what could possibly be more important now that the Dark Lord is no more?"

She held her head up higher, drawing in a sharp breath. It was clear she didn't want to answer, but was struggling with herself over it.

"Come on, lass. Ya ain't foolin' no one right now," Tobias chimed in. "What's goin' on?"

McGonagall's eyes snapped towards Tobias before her jaw clenched slightly.

"Did he call the wizardin' cops on us or somethin', lass?"

"Nothing of the sort," McGonagall finally answered.

"Then, why do you have yer knickers all in a bunch?" Tobias replied. "It's just a question. Ain't no one died over a question before."

She huffed, shaking her head. "As colorful as that is, Mister Snape—"

"Uh-oh. Here we go," Tobias groaned. He turned towards Severus. "If a woman ever calls you 'Mister' anything, it always spells trouble, son. Trust me on that. Yer mother used to be famous for that. Well, before we got married at least. Then, she moved onto the really scary one, my given name." His voice then rose slightly as he mimicked Severus's mother. "Tobias Avery!" He shook as if a chill came over him. "Still haunts me to this day."

After pausing for a moment and staring at Tobias in a manner that was clear that she didn't know whether to laugh or not, she finally replied, "Professor Dumbledore is otherwise engaged, I'm afraid."

Tobias instantly crossed his arms. "You know, lass, if those knickers go up any higher—"

"Kindly refrain from—" McGonagall started to stay, interrupting him.

"Then answer the question. Where's Bumblebee?" Tobias repeated, intentionally saying Dumbledore's name wrong.

"Professor Dumbledore is—"

"Otherwise engaged," Tobias mocked. "Yeah, I got that line. But I ain't talkin' to the witch who does everything by the book. I'm talkin' to the witch who wants to redeem herself and make up for lettin' poor kids suffer and the like."

Severus heard McGonagall's sharp intake of air instantly.

"Ya know," Tobias said calmly, his blue eyes meeting hers, "like my son for example, lass."

"What you're asking is . . ." Her voice trailed off before she shook her head. "It's not as easy as you believe."

"Sure it is. All you gotta do is tell us where he is, and then, bam . . . it's all good again."

"I can't. I'm sorry," she responded, shaking her head again.

"Why? Because my boy made a mistake and got himself in too deep?" Tobias shot back with a scoff. "Show me a man who hasn't, lass."

Severus noticed McGonagall glance at him. Her lips relaxed slightly as she watched him.

"Ya made a mistake as well, so why should you get a chance to redeem yerself and not my boy?"

McGonagall's shoulders slumped instantly, the final nail added.

"After he learned what occurred at Godric's Hollow," she started to say, "Professor Dumbledore locked himself up in his office. He refused to speak with any of us, including myself. It was only fifteen minutes ago that he asked me to see him in his office and stated to me how an Auror had contacted him via Patronus to inform him of your attack. I pressed him to reveal the mysterious Auror's identity, but he refused, stating that I needed to come here directly and give you those two things to help you on your journey while he went to check on something. He said nothing about you having a son, though."

His eyes narrowed on her slightly. Dumbledore's wand and Potter's old Invisibility Cloak would help him on his journey? The old man clearly had the wrong Severus in mind for these gifts. The only journey Severus saw himself on currently was raising a toddler.

"Yeah, well, ain't a lot of people know about my grandson for obvious reasons, lass," Tobias drawled. "Can't be too sure that you and the others won't try to warp him, you know? Or talk crap about his father in front of young Harrison, so the lad's been stayin' with me."

McGonagall nodded silently for a moment. "Understandable." Her eyes then moved back to Severus. "However, I would imagine in the coming days you would return to Hogwarts with your father and son, then."

"And just why on earth would I do that?" Severus replied, his lip curling slightly.

"Because with the Dark Lord gone now, the Aurors are rounding up former Death Eaters and sentencing them for their supposed crimes," she stated. "It won't be long before the Aurors find you."

Severus tensed instantly. What she was saying only made sense after all. With the Dark Lord no longer petrifying the Ministry, there would be no reason the Aurors wouldn't round up all the long-rumored followers and lock them up, throwing the key away for all eternity. He'd admit he had considered that a possibility earlier in his talk with Dumbledore, but he hadn't thought anything more about it since then. She was right, though. He would need a powerful ally if he were to survive.

"Actually, I contemplated taking a leave of absence for the remainder of the year." Or rather that was what his future self told him to do.

"If you run, Severus, then you will appear guilty and the Ministry will only hunt you more. Trust me. I worked there for quite a bit," McGonagall admitted. "And the way the rumors are going, the Ministry is not above imprisoning you for the hell of it."

"And if I don't leave, then I am forced to remain—"

"Safe. As will be your family," she declared.

No. It was out of the question. He couldn't return to Hogwarts. Not now with Harrison. One look at the boy, and the others would figure out that the boy wasn't his. No. It was better this way. No chance of the boy's lineage being discovered.

"Son, she's right," Tobias offered quietly. "If what Chloe was sayin' earlier about yer past, then yer gonna need some high-ranking people havin' yer back and vouchin' for you."

Severus's head whipped around towards his father. Go back? His father had to be mad if he thought that would happen. There were others who were more powerful than Dumbledore out there surely. It would take time, but he knew he could find them.

"I ain't sayin' ya gotta stay forever, son."

No. It was out of the question. He couldn't return to Hogwarts with Harrison. They would all find out the truth then, and Severus would find himself Kissed for certain. He just needed to get his father to understand and relent without revealing the real reason of why he didn't want to return. Like a good Slytherin, that reason popped into his mind instantly.

"You want me to return to the place where I was bullied, where I was nearly killed?" There was no way his father could argue with that now. "And here I thought you truly cared for me. For your grandson." He could see his father's resolve start to falter and waited for the man to surrender.

Tobias sighed softly, running a hand through his scruffy hair for a few moments. His blue eyes remained trained on his son as time passed slowly. It felt like a lifetime had passed before he finally spoke quietly.

"Ya used to go on about that castle for hours on end, tellin' me about how wicked it'd be to finally be somewhere safe, somewhere far from our shitty little town, somewhere where you could be somebody other than a criminal."

The memory of that tickled the back of Severus's mind briefly. He couldn't believe his father recalled that. Of all the things for his father to remember . . .

"Let's be honest, son. It ain't that yer scared of. I mean, yeah, it sounds like it wasn't what ya thought Hogwarts would be, but now it can be. Yer gettin' a second chance, son, and so is that place."

The faded feelings he had once felt while at Hogwarts during his first and second years started to bubble up inside Severus again. His father was right. It was funny how he was finding them both to be correct in their words. He had at one time considered Hogwarts to be his home, to be his safe place. But all that had changed once Potter and his gang of thugs gave him a dose of cold reality day after day, year after year with little interruptions.

"So what is it? What's got you runnin' scared with yer tail between yer legs?" Tobias asked.

Severus's eyes dropped to Harrison instinctively. How would he explain the boy to the others and not have them investigate further? Granted, he knew the others likely either knew or would know that young Harry Potter was supposedly murdered with his parents. That had likely come out by now. And if no one knew the truth that the child was actually missing and not dead—well, no one ever searched for a dead child. But he knew all too well how everything he had worked so hard for would be destroyed after just one second of misfortune on his part.

"If it's your classes you're concerned about," McGonagall began, "I'll have someone cover them until you're ready to return." Her eyes softened just a bit as she unexpectedly lowered her metaphorical mask. "But, Severus, running away isn't going to help anything. All it will do is make you appear to be guilty, and at this point even the slightest hint of guilt will get you certainly convicted to a lifetime in Azkaban. The Aurors, the Ministry as a whole in fact, don't care about justice right now, only revenge. And they will stop at nothing, not even the truth, to get it."

His classes? That was what she thought was preventing Severus from returning? As if he gave a damn about those horrid, idiotic brats. He had never wanted to be a teacher in the first place. It was his two masters, Dumbledore and the Dark Lord, who damned him to a lifetime of teaching. He would have much rather have been brewing more interesting potions and creating powerful spells than teach. His classes. He sneered.

"So, you believe it would be wise of me to return to Hogwarts instead and remain Dumbledore's pawn then?" he spat angrily. Ever since he had learned the truth from his future self, he had continued to battle with himself internally with this question. What she was saying, after all, made perfect sense to him. He would need an ally. He knew this. But was it truly worth the risk to return with young Harrison at his side? He had seen what happened to people once they lost their value, and he didn't ever want to end up like that. Yet, that was how he envisioned would be the case if he returned to Hogwarts with Harrison. He would no longer have any value to Dumbledore, so he would be cast aside like yesterday's trash. "Is that it, McGonagall?" He didn't even wait for her to respond before he continued, turning towards his father this time. "You wish to know why I don't want to return? Well, take a hard look at your grandson, Tobias. You would be asking me to bring him to environment that is not healthy for a toddler, where danger lurks around every corner." As his father's grin grew, so did Severus's frown. "You find this amusing?" he snapped irritably. What the hell was Tobias grinning about?

"Well, it seems to me, Severus, that you're coming to terms with your unexpected fatherhood quite nicely," McGonagall answered for Tobias.

Severus blinked. What on earth was she talking about?

"You appear to care quite deeply for your son already," she explained further. "I hear you, though, and understand your apprehension. You want your son to be safe like any good father does."

Good father? Him? He stared at her in hidden disbelief. Had someone Confunded her? There was no way he was a good father. Was there?

"While I can certainly understand your meaning and share those same sentiments about feeling like a pawn to Albus, I do believe that he means well in his actions and doesn't intend to hurt others."

Severus glanced away and looked out the nearby window. The best intentions often paved the way to hell after all. Or didn't she know that?

"However, I know with all my heart that he would never use your son as leverage over you."

Why not? It seemed in an alternate future, Dumbledore had used Evans to keep Severus loyal to the cause. Why then wouldn't Dumbledore use Harrison?

"He isn't a bad man, Severus, and neither are you."

That familiar annoying feeling of warmth expanded inside him at hearing her declaration. They were just words. That was all. And yet, her words gave him a sliver of hope for the future. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as everyone thought, as Evans had suggested.

"The boy—" He clenched his teeth when she held up a hand and cut him off. He absolutely hated it when people interrupted him.

"Will be with his father, and his grandfather if you both so choose, at Hogwarts. No one ever said one had to take a leave of absence away from the castle after all," McGonagall pointed out.

He sighed inwardly. He was losing this argument. How had this even happened?

"Give us another chance, Severus," she said softly, resting a gentle hand on his arm. "Come home." Her eyes then darted to Harrison who was watching her closely. "Come home, and let us do what we should have done from the start—fight for you."

Fight for him? No one ever fought for him. Not without having an ulterior motive at least.

"I will not subject my son to people questioning his lineage, his birth, his background."

"I wouldn't expect you to," she replied calmly. "Not until you're ready." She then shrugged. "And, frankly, let's be honest, shall we? You would likely tell whomever is asking such questions that it's none of their goddamn business. Which it isn't. That is solely between you and your son's mother."

Severus lifted his head up, glancing sideways at her. Was it truly that easy?

"I made a horrible error in judgment when you were my student years ago, Severus, and you paid the price for it unfortunately." The sadness blanketed each of her words. "You are absolutely correct. I should've done more for you and the others. Please allow me another chance to make things right now."

He stared at her, however, unable to move past her earlier words.

"We have lost so many these past few years," McGonagall stated, continuing on. "So many families have been torn apart as a result. So much blood has been spilt needlessly. There has to be another way. So I'm choosing to end the status quo I've participated in for so long. We need to band together as one. One family. One house." Her eyes then met his. "Don't you agree?"

"Speaking of house unity always sounds good to those listening, but implanting ways to achieve it rarely works in reality," Severus replied, noting her soft sad smile a moment later.

"Perhaps one day then," she remarked. "Until then, I mean my words." She drew in a breath. "My unfortunate favoritism for my House ends today. It never did any favors for anyone anyway. It only increased the rivalry and prejudices against the other houses."

He nodded slowly, wondering why she was telling him any of this. He knew she had seen the error of her ways now. What did it matter what she was going to do about it now? When he felt her squeeze his arm gently a moment later, he glanced down at her hand.

"Normally, I would tell you to take all the time you need, Severus, but seeing as how we both know the Ministry will be looking for you soon and you are here not at Hogwarts, I think a night to sleep on where you will go from here is the best I can offer." She offered him a faint smile. "If you do decide to return to Hogwarts, know that I will stand beside you and vouch for you to the Ministry."

"Why?" he blurted out hoarsely. What had changed to make her do a total 180 in terms of her attitude towards him? It didn't make sense.

"Because you're a good man, Severus. I just was too blind to see it."

A good man? Him? No one believed him to be good. At least no one that mattered.

"I should return to the castle before anyone notices that neither the headmaster nor the deputy are there." She gave a soft laugh before she inclined her head politely towards Severus and then Tobias. "Until tomorrow." She then Disapparated from the farmhouse on the cliff, leaving the trio alone again.

Severus stared at the spot she had been, though, unable to move. He couldn't wrap his head around her treating him respectfully, like an equal, for once. Since his accepting the available Potions master position last summer, she had remained standoff and at times even downright belligerent with him. He had become used to people being disrespectful towards him, so he usually just snidely replied back with whatever he could think of that would do the most damage. That was unless Dumbledore was around. But even then, Severus would grudgingly respond defensively.

"Ya all right there, son?" Tobias asked softly a moment later, coming to stand beside him.

Every bone in Severus's body wanted him to respond truthfully and say no, but he instead only pushed back those thoughts and turned towards his father.

"The Aurors will soon learn of your leaving," he stated, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Bet they ain't gonna be thrilled about that," Tobias said with a laugh. "Ya want to me to leave then? Just so you and the boy don't get pulled into my shit?"

Without a thought given, Severus replied, "No." He caught his father's brows furrow together. "I don't want you to go." Tobias nodded slowly.

"Then, should we head to that fancy castle?"

Sighing, Severus shook his head. "Not tonight, Dad." He couldn't face them all quite yet.

"All right." Tobias gently picked Harrison up and held him. "Then, let's get our lad to bed before he turns into a pumpkin." He chuckled when Harrison giggled in response.


	15. Master of Disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of an information overload chapter. :D I owe so many thanks to Snapeswidow for helping me write the scene at Malfoy Manor. She's, in fact, working on a companion piece for the Malfoys after Severus left. :D I'll link it up with mine over on AO3. I'm hard at work on the next chapter, so it should be up soon. Enjoy. :D

In what felt like his hundredth hotel room since his arrival to the past, Severus sat upon yet another uncomfortable and filthy bed, his eyes fixated on his tarnished ring. It had once been as sparkly as a fairy on a warm spring night. At least, that was how his wife would have described it knowing her. He closed his eyes as his fingertips brushed over the dull silver band a moment later.

Before his family had cruelly been ripped away from him, he had taken the time to polish his wedding ring whenever he took it off, wanting it to remain as perfect and pristine as possible to symbolize his love and commitment to his wife. However, after her death, he soon decided after a few days of having polished the ring there was no point in continuing it anymore, as polishing his wedding ring would not bring his wife and child back. So, he let it tarnish and fade, losing himself to his grief.

Returning to the past had not helped his ring either, he decided with a quiet sigh. Not a single speck of silver glistened anymore. But that would change once he had succeeded. Once his mission was complete, then the silver ring engraved with the words 'Always and forever' on its underside would shine brighter than all the stars in the sky.

With a groan, he shook his head and glanced away. None of that was doing him any good frankly. He blamed his current mood solely on the shoddy, depressing wallpaper that surrounded him. After all, who honestly in their right mind would put up black wallpaper with little white teardrops speckled about in a hotel room?

Leaning forward a moment later, he grabbed the _Daily Prophet_ from the nightstand beside him and propped it open. The front page, he decided, might as well have been a recruitment advertisement for the Ministry with all the stories about various successful raids the Aurors had carried out since the Dark Lord's supposed defeat. He turned the page, his eyes instantly narrowing on an article.

" _Unnamed Ministry officials state that Auror Chloe Tompkins will be awarded posthumously the Order of Merlin, second-class for her heroic actions in Cokeworth last week. Readers will recall that Auror Tompkins bravely lost her life battling Death Eaters who had appeared in the highly Muggle populated village in the English midlands."_

Cokeworth? His brows furrowed. Was it possible that his past self—or rather present self—had finally chosen to approach their father after years of being too angry at what occurred in the past to even attempt to hear his father's side of the story? He supposed it made sense. Tobias had his moments of being a good father at times (even his past self knew that deep down), and at his worst Tobias certainly was nowhere close to being like Roger was.

A soft smile graced his lips then as a thought occurred to him. Had it not been for his wife's obvious Snow White-like qualities, he never would have gotten the chance to get to know his father again and learn the truth of what had really occurred.

When he was finally alert enough to communicate effectively after Nagini nearly killed him, Severus had been filled with regret. His not having the courage to speak with his father was the largest one by far. So, when his would-be wife brought his father to St. Mungo's a few days later, he was furious. But, in time, his anger faded and gratefulness replaced it. She had given Tobias and Severus a second chance to get to know one another. To heal.

Severus hoped that would be the case again this time. He then silently chuckled as he imagined little Harry laughing with Tobias as they waited for his younger self to approach, unaware of their hiding behind a corner. Tobias would certainly turn the boy into a bit of a prankster, or at the very least a harmless miscreant. James Potter would be proud of his son if he were looking down on them.

With a content sigh, he turned the page. When he caught the article concerning a scandal in the Muggle world at a place called Grunnings, he felt his good mood start to falter. Of all the things he had thought he'd read, this was certainly not one of them. After reading the article in its entirety, he decided the only reason the _Prophet_ had even printed it was to fill their page. It wasn't as if witches and wizards truly cared anything about a nasty Muggle woman killing her abusive husband and running off with their only son, least of all a Muggle named Petunia Evans-Dursley.

He then moved onto the next article, his eyes catching the moving photo of a visibly shaken Frank and Alice Longbottom with their young toddler in their arms. He skimmed the write up, closing his eyes a moment later in relief. Neville would not suffer the same fate as before.

" _Sources within the Ministry state that Headmaster Albus Dumbledore was instrumental in stopping the attack on Alice and Frank Longbottom earlier this week. He and others arrived at the Longbottom home in the late morning hours of the first and quickly began to drive back the Lestranges who, it is rumored, were there to torture the Longbottoms in order to learn of their Master's current whereabouts. In a statement to the_ Daily Prophet _, Auror Alastor Moody declared that while the Lestranges are currently on the run, they would soon be captured and join their brothers and sisters in Azkaban like the scum they are._

_When asked later about the attack on the Longbottoms, Headmaster Dumbledore simply replied, 'A young boy will grow up with his two loving parents now, spared from the resulting pain of an old man's foolish hope for a better world.' We at the_ Daily Prophet _, of course, pressed Headmaster Dumbledore to explain, but he merely declined and walked away from us."_

Good. The old man had learned his lesson after all. There was hope yet for him.

Severus tossed the paper aside then and slowly got to his feet, stretching. Harry would grow up in a household who would appreciate and love him this time. And Neville, he would actually know his parents this time, not just hear the stories of their bravery from his grandmother. There would be no child of prophecy, not anymore. For a moment, Severus felt pity for Sybill, knowing that she would likely never get credit for her rare prophecy of truth now. However, that moment quickly passed.

Dumbledore would still know the truth. The old man would likely even know Harry was the boy Sybill had referred to in her prophecy, thanks to Severus showing him what his future had looked like. Only the rest of the world wouldn't know it this time, as the truth would not be beneficial for Dumbledore to reveal to the rest of the world. Not to mention that it'd be rather difficult to explain and get others to believe. Dumbledore would be seen as a bumbling old fool if he even attempted it. No, no, the old man would remain silent this time, wrestling with his own guilt of what might have been.

_As it should have been,_ Severus thought before he walked into the cramped bathroom. He grimaced when he caught his reflection in the grimy mirror. The white, jagged scars peeked out from underneath his collar. He would keep those as reminders, he decided. The rest, though . . .

Previously put in the bathroom was a brown paper bag that he pulled a pair of thin, silver scissors from, which he set on one of the ledges in the bathroom. A square box then went to rest on another shower ledge. Lastly, he took out a pair of thinly black-rimmed glasses, placing them onto the nearby sink counter. With everything in its place now, he undressed, tossing his clothes out into the living area of the room.

He stepped into the shower a moment later, making sure not to turn the water on. Grabbing the small square box beside him, he quickly read the directions before he followed them step-by-step. His face scrunched up from the toxic scent of ammonia wafting around him soon after. It would have been easier to have just used magic, but being in Muggle London had nixed that idea.

With nothing better to do as he waited for the dye to work several moments later, he looked through the list of ingredients before he quickly became bored with it. He then moved onto recalling his final moments in the Gaunt shack just a week ago.

After he had poured his specially-developed potion and melted the ugly ring in the Gaunt shack thereby destroying the Horcrux inside it, he noticed prior to leaving a black stone with a crack down its middle resting in the resulting goo from his potion. Nothing but the goo should have remained, as the potion was designed to liquefy everything magical it encountered. Yet, there was the black stone that defied it. It had taken Severus a few moments before he recalled Harry saying something once about a Deathly Hallow that was similar in appearance: the Resurrection stone. Severus quickly snatched it from the goo then, his heart aching to see his wife once more. He had then snuck back into his room at the Hanged Man pub and spent the night before he moved onto the next Horcrux to destroy.

Now certain he had wasted enough time waiting for the dye to work, he quickly turned the water on and rinsed his hair. Several moments later, he grabbed the thin, silver scissors beside him and started to cut his long hair, the clumps falling onto the shower floor as a result. He did his best to keep his hair as evenly cut as he could, but he knew it was unfortunately futile. There was a reason, after all, it was best to have someone else cut one's hair. Once it was short enough to his liking, he set the now-hairy scissors down onto the shower's ledge. His fingers then combed through his hair, shaking the loose clumps out. When he was satisfied he had rinsed everything all out ten minutes later, he shut the water off and stepped out of the shower onto the ugly pink mat. He yanked a towel from the rack beside him and quickly dried himself off, tossing the soggy towel onto the floor soon after. Grabbing the glasses from the counter, he walked back out of the bathroom and redressed.

Glancing at his reflection a few moments later, he put the glasses on. His nose was still too long in his opinion, but the glasses helped distract from that a bit. With the final touch of ruffling his hair, he nodded. At least now he could leave and not worry about someone recognizing him, something he had been worrying about frequently since his arrival to London. One disguise down.

* * *

An hour later, Severus was brushing past the large groups of happy witches and wizards who had gathered on the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. It had been a week since the Dark Lord had been defeated, and yet one would think it was just yesterday with the way they were still carrying on.

He bit back his annoyance each time someone bumped into him. He couldn't blame them for being happy, but the least they could do was pay attention to where they were going. As he neared Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, he pulled his robes closer to his body before he slipped inside.

"Welcome," said the small man behind the counter as Severus entered. "If you don't see what you're looking for, just ask and I'll check the back." He then turned away to count something.

Severus, however, ignored the man's pleasantries and headed towards the shelves of potions. He plucked an amber-filled phial first and then moved towards the thick sludge-like bottle a few shelves up.

"Ah, Polyjuice. Rather difficult to brew, you know?" muttered one of the shop workers. "Can only be brewed when—"

"How much?" Severus interrupted.

"Oh. I'm certain it's too rich for your blood."

Severus's eyes narrowed on the man, resisting the urge to hex him. "How much?" he repeated.

"Well, considering its difficulty and the amount of preparation required . . ." the man's voice trailed off as his finger ran down his jawline. "Nine hundred galleons."

Scoffing, Severus forced his smile even more. Didn't this man know whom he was dealing with? "Oh, really? I have it on good word that you charge Lucius Malfoy only seventy-five." He caught the man's surprise instantly. "So, tell me. That price wouldn't be a sort of, shall we say, discount for, you know, dark wizards, would it? Because if so, I would imagine the Ministry would be quite interested in your shop these days if they knew that . . . wouldn't you?" He watched the man's color vanish.

"Are you threatening me?"

"Heavens, no," Severus said with a chuckle before he glanced towards the door and smiled when a young man in a Ministry outfit entered. "Auror Reynolds!" he loudly announced, recognizing the young Auror from the photo that had been in the _Prophet_ earlier. He grinned at the young man when he turned towards him.

"All right. Fine. You win," hissed the shop worker under his breath. "Seventy-five."

Severus, however, only laughed, clapping the worker on the shoulder. "I was just telling this young man about you and all the wonderful work you've done for the Ministry lately." The Auror raised his brow at him slightly. "You're the one who captured Sirius Black a few days ago, weren't you? Just brilliant. Really. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you." The Auror then glanced towards the shop keeper, looking him over, before he calmly walked back out, likely deciding that everything was all right in the shop.

Pulling the last of his galleons that he had brought with him out of his robes, Severus dropped them into the shop worker's hands, heading for the door soon after. He was getting quite a store of potions now. He walked down the cobblestone street, heading towards the dark alley of Knockturn.

Once he had reached the dark alcove, he paused briefly and dug back into his robes, pulling out a small pocket knife a moment later. He coated the blade with the amber potion, tossing the empty phial into a nearby garbage. Leaning back, he rested against the cool brick and waited. It wouldn't be long now if he was right. As he waited, he watched the people walk past unaware of his presence.

"Watch where you're going," snapped a tall, blond-haired wizard when he bumped hard into someone as he stormed out of a nearby shop.

Severus smirked. Obviously, Lucius was in the best of moods today. Well then, he might as well help the blond have an even better day, he decided, stepping out and walking behind the blonde. He waited until Lucius neared the larger crowds before he jogged in front of him. Severus's dark eyes glanced out of the corner briefly every now and then to glance at the reflections in the shop windows just to make sure that Lucius was still behind him. When he was ready, he suddenly whirled around and collided with the blonde. Both of them nearly falling onto the ground as a result of the collision.

"Bloody hell!" Lucius yelled out, hissing in pain before he took a step back.

"Apologies," Severus said, forcing a rasp out of his throat to disguise his voice.

"You're lucky I won't curse you for that, you idiot!" Lucius glared back, no recognition apparent in his cold gray eyes, before he brushed past, rubbing at his forearm.

Severus stepped to the side and waited, his eyes trained on Lucius's back. When he caught the first stumble in the blonde's stride, he felt his good mood increase. It wouldn't be long now. And he was right. Lucius stumbled and fell to the ground shortly after, the amber potion finally reaching its target. A trip to St. Mungo's with an afternoon full of potions being poured down his throat would surely brighten Lucius's day. He waited until the good Samaritans rushed to Lucius's side before he Disapparated away, chuckling. In his defense, the blonde never should have told Severus of his allergy to peppermint.

Arriving a few moments later in front of a large handsome manor complete with lush gardens, Severus paused just at the iron gates. He reached into his robes, pulling out the Polyjuice potion he had previously stored. He then added a drop of Lucius's blood that had collected on the blade of his pocket knife to the thick, mud potion. He watched the potion changed to a dirty gray color and sighed, tossing it back and closing his eyes at the sour taste. As he felt the magic sweep over him, his body reshaping itself into Lucius's form, he drew in sharp breaths before it soon became easier to breathe. He removed the glass, pocketing them.

He carefully removed his true wand a moment later, tapping it against his robes. His robes quickly changed into a black shirt, black pants with an elegant cloak complete with a clasp that had the Malfoy crest on it. He tapped his wand next against the empty potion bottle, amused when Lucius's trademark cane appeared in his hand a moment later. Excellent.

Not long afterwards, Severus saluted the black iron gates in the usual manner. He was quite glad when the wards easily allowed him inside the grounds a moment later, passing through the ornate black gates as if they were smoke. He'd admit later that not knowing if the wards would be able to distinguish between him and his other self was rather unsettling. But it had thought they were one thankfully.

He passed the albino peacocks silently, noting that one of the infernal creatures was approaching him. He'd never understand why Lucius kept the stupid thing. They served no real purpose. Just another thing Lucius could brag about. He shooed the white peacock away a moment later, just stopping short of kicking it when it resisted his urgings.

Once he was inside the manor several minutes later, he passed by a rather large mirror, catching his reflection. He grimaced inwardly when he saw the long white locks and softer features. He had now changed his appearance twice, and as horrible as it was to admit, he still didn't feel any more comfortable with himself. He shook his head, though, and continued up the stairs, pausing when he caught sight of the beautiful witch waiting with a glass of elf wine in hand. He swallowed. _Narcissa._

She smiled tenderly at him, her eyes radiating with warmth and love. "You're certainly home early, love," she remarked, taking one last sip of her wine before placing the half-empty glass on a side table for a house elf to collect. "Did you forget something?" she inquired, descending down the stairs to stand before her husband. The green silk of her nearly see-through gown clung to her like a second skin.

He smiled back, though, doing his best not to turn and run from her. So far, she seemed to believe that he was Lucius. He just had to keep the mask up. Inhaling slowly, he began to speak, relying on his memories of how Lucius sounded and spoke. "Nothing of importance, my dear, when compared to you," he replied smoothly, playing the affectionate husband.

"Such flattery from those lips today," she purred, dipping her head to glance coyly at her husband through her long lashes. "And here I thought your earlier grumpiness would spoil our fun."

"Never."

"Then you feel better since your trip?"

He paused for a moment before he shook his head. "I admit I do not feel quite myself yet, but I'm certainly getting there. Perhaps tomorrow."

"I hope so, love." She then smiled at him.

"So, where is our lovely Dragon?" He glanced around the room. "Down for his nap?"

Still not raising her head, Narcissa narrowed her eyes at his sudden change in subject. "Dobby is watching over him while he sleeps."

"Ah. So, it's just us then." He drew in a slow breath. "How wonderful."

"Indeed." She then moved to stand on the same step as her husband, their bodies now pressed together from toe to chest. "You know how our lovely son can sleep for hours..." Emerald painted nails found their way to the black ribbon tying Lucius's hair back a moment later. She gave a gentle tug, pulling the slip of fabric free. "I can think of a few things we can do with our free time, hmm?"

"You can?" he replied breathlessly. He hadn't anticipated that she'd be in one of these moods.

Blinking slowly as her fingers worked their way into his hair, Narcissa gave the blond locks a gentle tug. "Are you being obtuse on purpose? Or is this a new game you wish to explore?"

He stared at her. A new game? He then groaned inwardly. If he didn't play the part, she'd know the truth. And the only thing deadlier than the Dark Lord was a Slytherin woman, especially when that woman was Narcissa. He drew in a slow breath, emptying his mind. It had to be believable. He couldn't be Severus. Not now. "I apologize, my love." His voice softened into that familiar caressing, loving tone of Lucius's. "It's just... I am worried about the Aurors. There were whispers from the others today, whispers that warned of them raiding the old families. _Our_ family." He gently grabbed her hand, kissing each of her fingertips tenderly. "Forgive me, my beautiful nymph."

She sighed heavily as she squeezed his hand sympathetically in return. "Let them search to their hearts content, Lucius. We have nothing to hide." She then held her head up a bit higher before she sniffed the air. "They will find nothing if they do, as I have moved everything that could be considered 'Dark' to my sister's vault." A smile tugged at her lips. "So, if they decide to poke their blood traitor noses into the Lestrange or Black family vaults, well, whatever they find will go against my sister and that Blood traitor cousin of mine, not us, my love." She grinned outright. "After all, nothing says noble and most ancient House of Black better than a bit of blackmail, backstabbing, and sabotage."

He paled instantly, unable to hide his despair. "Even the journal?" he whispered. If she had moved that, then he had come here for nothing. It was all for naught.

Narcissa shook her head, though, her eyes narrowing on him in confusion. "It's a blank journal, Lucius. I doubt even Dumbledore would know whom it belonged to if he looked at it, let alone an Auror." She then crossed her arms, staring at him suspiciously. "It's still on the top shelf of your father's bookcase."

He glanced towards the old study at once. He had to destroy it once and for all. But how would he do that with Narcissa around? She certainly wouldn't allow her husband to face evil alone. Not after the suspicions he had stupidly already cast.

"Lucius, what in the world is going on? Why are you acting so strangely? Answer me."

He turned back towards her. "Narcissa, I must ask something of you and you must not question me right now. It is important you do not. For I was a fool, my love. A terrible fool." He closed his eyes, his shoulders slumping. "I do not know what is contained in that book, but it is vile, Narcissa. The blackest of all magic." He grabbed her hands, holding them in his own. "Tell me you have not noticed that darkness inside it as well." He felt her hands contract instinctively, knowing that he had been right in his assumption. "We . . . I shudder to even say it aloud now . . . but we must destroy it." He watched her eyes widen in surprise. "I . . . Forgive me, my dear sweet beautiful Narcissa, so fair as you are lovely. Forgive me for darkening our lives for so long, for putting us in such terrible danger as I have. Let us let go of that past once and for all and embrace our future—succeed for good this time."

Narcissa followed his gaze toward the door to Abraxas's old study. Severus knew that she would never have witnessed before Lucius speak so fearfully of any of the Dark artifacts in the house like he was supposedly speaking of Tom Riddle's diary now. In fact, it was why he had chosen this approach in the first place. To make her see how serious and dangerous the situation really was and appeal to her loving wife persona.

Slowly turning back towards him, Narcissa wore a look that showed she was mere seconds from demanding he tell her what evil he had brought into her home, but a moment later Severus saw the look vanish as she held her tongue. He knew exactly what she was thinking. If not knowing would protect her and Draco if worse came to worse, then she would allow him his secrets this time. Tugging his hands to regain his attention, she squared her shoulders. "Very well. How do we destroy it?"

His lips pressed tightly together for a moment, as if he was thinking about the answer. Lucius wouldn't have known how to destroy a Horcrux, let alone what it was in the first place. The man may have enjoyed collecting all sorts of dark artifacts, but that didn't mean he knew what each of them did. It was all about status with Lucius, not knowledge. In fact, that was likely why Lucius had accepted the journal to hide in first place. What better item to collect than something given to him by the Dark Lord?

"I honestly don't know for certain," he lied. "I can only give you my best guess." He sighed heavily. "I seem to recall Severus stating once that the best way to rid one of anything dark is to destroy it beyond all magical repair." He gave a somber half-laugh. "I doubt if we cast the Killing Curse on it, though, it'll work. So, best guess, we use a powerful cutting curse, one that cannot be repaired." He felt the wave of anger from her instantly and braced himself for her obvious outrage.

"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy!" she snarled, her knuckles turning white as she death gripped his hands. "You brought something into our home that you haven't a clue as to how to destroy?!" She glanced towards the wing of the manor where the nursery was, likely hoping her raised voice hadn't woken her young son. When there was no resulting cry from the small boy, she turned back to him. "You're guessing now?" She then pulled her hands back from his and threw her hands up in frustration. "If you don't get that thing destroyed properly today so help me, Draco will be an only child, Lucius, and your bed will be damn cold!"

A part of Severus thought about laughing at the threat, but a bigger part knew that would have been most unwise. While Lucius may have lost his ways every now and then, he did serve his purpose and did not deserve to lose Narcissa. In fact, truth be told, Severus had always thought that after Lucius had married the beautiful blond, she had helped Lucius heal from Abraxas's brainwashing.

"Well, dear," he said sarcastically, "do you have any ideas?"

"Oh I have a few, but I'd run out of answers to Draco asking where his father is," she snapped back before gathering up the bottom of her gown and storming up the stairs.

He was instantly reminded of another witch who was just as feisty as Narcissa and just as beautiful in his opinion. Something all Slytherin women had in common, he decided with a silent laugh.

"Well, are you coming or not, Lucius?" she yelled over her shoulder when she got to the top step before she strode off with clear purpose in each step.

He quickly pushed back the memories and ran after her. As he fell in step with her, he realized their destination. She was leading him to the study. "What are you doing?" Dear Merlin, if she faced the Horcrux alone, Lucius would never forgive him . . . Hell, he wouldn't forgive himself either.

She whirled around. "If you won't destroy it, I will! Even if I have to burn the manor with it."

"There's no need to be so drastic, dear." He grabbed her arm gently, just above her elbow. "Please. I couldn't bear to lose you, Narcissa."

She looked down at where his hand rested on her arm, wanting to slap it away. "Then destroy that damned book before I make you regret bringing it into this house," she replied calmly, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she moved away from the door.

"I already do," he mumbled before he nodded and headed towards the study. He pulled Lucius's wand out of the cane's handle, inhaling deeply before they walked in. " _Accio Riddle's Diary._ " The book came soaring through the air soon after.

The moment the cool leather touched his skin, he felt a chill deep within his soul. His Mark, long since faded into an abysmal scar now, ached underneath his sleeve. He felt the Horcrux's darkness start to surround and suffocate him. Staring at Riddle's diary, he heard the voice calling to him . . . begging him to stop. He swallowed, his wand shaking. Idly, he wondered if she heard the voices as well.

"What in Merlin's name," she cut herself off when she likely noticed that her husband appeared paler than usual and shaking like a leaf. She slowly turned around in a circle a moment later, likely thinking a house elf or two were in the room with them. After all, what else could it be?

When she faced him again, a look of recognition instantly crossed her face. The whispering was coming from the book itself. Goosebumps broke out along her skin as she took a step away from Lucius. This room had always seemed malevolent to her. Like the darkness and evil that was Abraxas Malfoy had seeped into the walls of the room itself. Could it have been the book that made her nearly ill whenever she had been in this room and not the Bastard who sired her husband? Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Narcissa raised her wand, the tip pointed at her husband. "Lucius, drop the diary." When he continued to stare at the book, she stepped closer. "Lucius, please..."

Vaguely, he heard her saying Lucius's name, but he kept staring at the diary. Why was this becoming so difficult? He had done this before, twice in fact. But each time now, the effort required had increased, more fight was needed in order to ignore the darkness that tried to seduce him again. It was an evil mistress, Horcruxes. He knew what needed to be done. So, why couldn't he do it? Why was he unable to move? Had he truly become that weak after his last encounter?

"I'm sorry," Narcissa whispered beside him soon after.

The moment he felt her strong Stinging hex, he dropped the book, gasping at its intensity. His eyes darted to her, a brief flicker of anger passing over his features before it quickly vanished.

She swallowed thickly and raised her wand again. "You said something about a cutting curse?"

Yes. Right. He had. He nodded stiffly then, turning away from her. He had a job to finish. Then he could leave her and figure out what was going on. His wand then pointed down at the book. With a harsh slash through the air with his wand, he cast his trademark curse nonverbally. A loud crack echoed around the room before the curse rebounded, forcing him to dive out of the way and wince as he collided with the floor. Pieces of the stone wall blast apart the second the curse hit it, raining down around them.

"What the fuck did the megalomaniac put into that book!" Narcissa swore as she, too, hit the floor beside him. Checking herself for any injuries and finding nothing, she moved over to check on Lucius, who lay flat on his back sucking in deep breaths of air. "Are you hurt, love?" She examined him closely, the healer in her taking over. A pale brow arched questioningly when she found a large snake fang in one of Lucius' pockets a moment later. "What is this?" she asked, pulling it out to show him.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his head for a moment before he glanced at her. His eyes narrowed on the fang she had pulled out of his pocket before it clicked. "Basilisk fang. I forgot I had that." He then turned back towards the book, the swirl of darkness quickly overpowering him again and silencing his own thoughts.

" _You can have that life again,"_ a young male voice whispered from the book. _"You need only ask. Come. Put that away. Let us give you what you want . . . what you need."_

Narcissa gripped the fang tighter in her hand as she heard the whispered words and saw his eyes cloud over again. "No," she whispered venomously, as she got to her feet. "You had control over my family and my life for far too long." She stepped slowly towards the book as she spoke. "You took my sisters, my husband, my friends, and made us no better than a House Elf!" She looked at the fang in her hand and stood over the book. "Go to hell with your master and tell him Narcissa sent you." Raising the fang, Narcissa dropped to her knees and stabbed the book clear in the center. As the book spewed black ink as if spilling its blood, Narcissa continued to stab, ink staining her hands, hair and face and mixed with the tears that slipped from her eyes.

The voices quieted at once before a loud roar erupted from the book, sending both of them sprawling backwards again. He grabbed Narcissa this time as they flew back, preventing her from hitting her head against a table's edge. A large black inky darkness flew up, screaming and roaring as it flew up and burst out of the manor.

She braced herself against her husband as they fell, turning slightly to watch the black mass as it dissipated. With her ears ringing from the noise, Narcissa turned to Lucius. "What was that?" Poking him in the side with her wand, she glared, clearly deciding that he surely knew more than what he was telling. "And don't lie to me."

Deciding that he owed her at least some explanation now considering she had destroyed it for him, he answered her. "Some sort of Dark Magic. Darker than I ever learned." He drew in a shaky breath and closed his eyes. That was too close for his liking. He would have to prepare himself more the next time to prevent this from occurring again. He then looked her over. "Are you all right, Narcissa?"

She stared at him, eyes narrowed before she shook her head. "I won't be able to hear clearly for a few days, but other than that, I'm not hurt." A sound between a sob and a laugh escaped her mouth before she could stop it. Pushing herself up, she sat back and looked him over. "You stupid, idiotic man, bringing that thing in this house." Shaking her head, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.

With guilt at kissing another woman tugging inside him, he paused momentarily before he kissed her back, knowing that it would throw up red flags if he didn't. As it was, all she knew at this point was that she and Lucius had nearly died because of some stupid Dark book the Dark Lord had entrusted to her husband. So, why wouldn't she kiss him to celebrate the fact that they had survived, free of the evil at last? He couldn't blame her for that.

Her fingers once again slipped through his hair, leaving streaks of black in his pale locks.

Severus couldn't help but breathe in deeply, his eyes closing. It had been so long since someone had kissed him like that. Just a few more moments and he'd have himself convinced that he was kissing his wife again, holding her just one more time. _If only . . ._

Narcissa pushed him back against the floor without breaking the kiss, the hand not tangled in his hair moving to the buttons on his shirt.

He grabbed her hands then. This was another man's wife, not his. He couldn't do this. It wasn't fair or right to her. He needed to end this before it went too far. Inhaling her rich scent, he deepened the kiss before he cast a sleeping charm on her, feeling her go limp against him soon after.

Gently picking her up, he carried her into the master bedroom, placing her in the large bed. He brushed her hair back tenderly. She would be angry when she woke up later. He considered sparing Lucius that misplaced ire, but decided against it. Who was he to take away her stand against the darkness that had entered her family's lives? No, he'd let her remember that. He then waved his wand over her, siphoning the black ink from her hair, face, hands, and elsewhere. Whirling around, he headed back towards the study, vanishing the rest of the ink but leaving the book open on the floor. He grabbed the Basilisk fang from the book a moment later, knowing he would need an extra just in case he ran into issues like this again. He then turned, hearing footsteps on the stairs. Lucius had likely returned. Without a word, he headed in the opposite direction, slipping out of the manor.


	16. Three Drops Worth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully that wasn't too long of a wait for you. :) For those of you who were interested in seeing how Lucius fares after Narcissa destroyed Riddle's Horcrux, Snapeswidow has now put her fic "Narcissa's Revenge" up over here on AO3under her screenname. I've put it into the Undoing series for easier finding. Please send her some of that awesome love you show me, will you? Enjoy.

Glancing down at the little imp who had fallen asleep on him as he, his father, and Harrison were now back at Hogwarts in his rooms, Severus felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards slightly. He'd admit that the brat was rather adorable at times. He brushed back Harrison's hair gently and snorted when the young toddler pressed himself more against Severus's hand.

"Precious, ain't he?" Tobias remarked quietly, careful not to wake Harrison.

Severus's hand flinched back from the boy instantly, as if he had been scalded by hot water. His eyes darted to his father, the smile falling from his face. "I suppose if you like that sort of thing," he replied with a shrug.

Tobias snorted in reply. "Who are ya tryin' to fool there, son? Me? Because it ain't gonna work. I know you love the boy."

"I don't love him," Severus stated defensively, ignoring the pounding in his ears that said otherwise. He couldn't love the boy already. Not after such a short time passing.

"Well, if ya don't love him, then I'll just tell the truth when I'm—"

"No!" he cried, forgetting entirely about the sleeping boy cuddled against him. When he heard the soft fearful whimper a moment later, he cringed and glanced down, calmly rubbing the boy's back. "It's all right, Harrison," Severus whispered. "All is well. Go back to sleep."

"Yeah, you clearly don't give a damn about the boy at all, do ya, Severus?" Tobias drawled a moment later, his lip twitching slightly as he looked on amused.

Severus glared, clenching his jaw. This was all his father's fault.

"Anyway," Tobias began, "speakin' about later, what should I say?"

Pulling Harrison further up onto his lap as the boy continued to whimper softly, Severus frowned and maintained his death glare on his father. Didn't the man see that he had scared the boy? When the young toddler threw his arms around Severus's neck a moment later and clutched desperately at him, he tensed briefly before he relaxed into Harrison's embrace.

"Concerning what exactly?" Severus replied, rubbing small circles against the boy's back in what he hoped was a comforting manner.

"About Harrison, son." His father then gave him a knowing look. "What do ya want me to tell them when they ask about the boy?"

"What do I want you to tell them?" he repeated with a confused look.

"Come on, son. Let's be real, huh?" Tobias sighed quietly, scratching his chin. "It's one thing to have a kid ya know nothin' about dumped onto yer doorstep one day. It's another to snatch one. So, let's be real. That boy, cute as he may be, ain't yers."

"Yes, he is!"

"No, son. He ain't," Tobias said sadly. "I may have been outta yer life for almost twelve years, but there ain't no way El would've allowed ya to go through life without knowin' the birds and the bees and the consequences of pollenatin' the flowers. She'd have drilled it into yer head regardless of Roger bein' in her life or not."

"Well, she didn't," Severus lied, feeling the guilty tug in his chest at the mentioning of his mother. "She was all about Roger. I didn't even matter to her anymore." He watched his father's eyes close and continued, his voice steady and delivering the necessary tone to convey full belief in his lie. "So, once I was out on my own, I frequented lots of places . . . had lots of women, Dad. So many women, in fact, that sometimes I didn't know what to do with all of them. A regular ladies man."

Tobias crossed his arms instantly, clearly not believing his son one bit.

"Is that right?" The older man then shrugged. "What's yer favorite way then, son?"

Severus's mouth dropped, his lips the only thing keeping his mouth from falling completely open. His father couldn't be serious. Vaguely, he felt Harrison pull back from him to look up at him.

"Mine's—well, shit—that's gotta be Wicked Witch. Yer mother always liked that the best. Said she could really feel me . . . if ya get my drift. Somethin' that was just between her and me, ya know?"

Severus didn't even try to keep his mouth closed this time. His jaw dropped, and he stared horrified at his father. Was his father honestly telling him . . . _that_?

Harrison giggled instantly, his green eyes with tiny specks of brown sparkling in the soft light of the dungeons.

"Are you honestly asking me what kind of sexual positions I enjoy? That's madness."

"And that, dear son, is being evasive and refusin' to answer a question. The number one tell of a liar," Tobias drawled, clearly happy with himself. "Answerin' a question with another question." His smirk grew. "So, let's try this again, shall we?"

"There's nothing to tell," Severus answered through grit teeth, angry with himself.

"Bullshit." His father scoffed, his hand running through his shaggy brown hair before he shook his head. "If I'm gonna lie for ya later to the police, the least ya can do is tell me what the hell is goin' on. The truth this time."

"I never asked you to lie for me."

"Ya didn't need to." Tobias locked eyes with him. "A father will always do his damnedest to protect his son. No matter what, Severus."

He couldn't shake the feeling of instant guilt that washed over him as a result of his father's fierce declaration. He knew in his heart that his father meant every word of it.

"Please, son. I don't think I'm askin' too much here really. Just an honest answer as to why you've got the boy. That's it."

Severus glanced away, closing his eyes. "You won't believe me."

"Try me." Tobias then gave a loud laugh. "I mean, shit, son. If it weren't for yer mum, I'd never have believed that witches and wizards were real either. Would I have?"

"You won't understand," Severus said quietly, his eyes remaining downcast. He felt like a little boy explaining to his father how the figurine had broken all over again.

"I'm smarter than I look, son," Tobias replied gently. "If ya took the boy 'cause ya panicked or whatever, I'll understand. We all make mistakes. Some stupider than others."

"I didn't take him, Dad." He lifted his head slowly, turning towards the older man. "Harrison was given to me. I'm being honest about that." He swallowed, knowing that he had to tell his father the whole story. He cast a quick nonverbal _Muffliato_ over the room to keep their conversation private. "His parents were murdered, and his only other remaining relative—a maternal aunt—she hated his mother, thought she was a freak because of his mother's magical talents. I couldn't let the boy grow up in an environment where he likely would be subjected to such hatred on a daily basis. I—he needed a home, one where he'd be loved. One that he should've grown up in with his parents."

"You knew Harrison's mother?"

"Yes. She was a neighbor of ours in Cokeworth, Lily Evans." Severus then frowned. Had his father ever met Lily? He didn't think so. "She may have come after you left actually." He shook his head a moment later. "Or if she did, it was likely when you and Mum were fighting all the time."

"I'm sorry, Sev," Tobias apologized, reaching out towards his son before letting his hand drop to his side. "You deserved better. You and yer mum." His hands came up and covered his face prior to his letting out a regretful sigh. "I should've gotten that damn milk like yer mum asked."

"You couldn't have known what would've happened. No one could." Not even his future self . . . wherever the hell he was currently.

"Maybe. But I've had twelve years with nothin' better to do than dwell on all my past mistakes, son. So, yer gonna have to humor me for a bit and understand me when I say I could've done better."

"We all could have, but that's the nature of regrets and mistakes, though."

"Yeah." Tobias shrugged. "So, yer raisin' the boy as yer own out of some sort of tribute to his mother? Did ya love her or somethin'?"

"Or something," Severus replied honestly. His future self had been correct in that. He didn't love Lily as he thought he had. In fact, with the sting of her letter still being felt, he actually felt little towards her but pain. Regretful of her death, yes, but he hadn't been the one to kill her. The Dark Lord had. And it seemed, judging by Dumbledore's actions earlier in the week, that there had been another couple who fit the Prophecy, which gave Severus all the more reason to start to forgive himself. It wasn't as if he had went to the Dark Lord and said, 'The Prophecy must refer to the Potters. Kill them, my Lord.' He had made a mistake, a grave one that he was making up for now.

"Does anyone know that the boy wasn't killed with his parents?" his father asked suddenly.

Severus's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment. Did anyone besides himself know the truth? Narcissa knew that Harrison had been an orphan, yes, but Severus's _Obliviate_ had taken care of that. And Dumbledore certainly wasn't letting anything on—at least not verbally, which truthfully just confused (and scared) the hell out of Severus beyond belief.

"I don't think so. But even if they did somehow, I covered my tracks with him." When his father's eyes narrowed on him, he sighed. "I took him to a woman I know who used magic to mask his true identity in case anyone starts poking their noses into it. After she did it, I made her forget. She said before that, though, it shouldn't hurt him, but it should make things easier for him to get a fresh start and get away from all the pain. I mean, I will tell him when he's older about his parents. He deserves that."

"All right then." Tobias gave a curt nod. "I'll tell them that the boy was stayin' with me. After all, the only one who can prove that I'm lying is Chloe, and, well, we read what happened to her."

Severus closed his eyes instantly. It had been a punch to his gut when he had read that article on the young Auror in the _Daily Prophet_. He had thought that just maybe she'd have found some way to survive, to escape Death's door one more time. But it hadn't happened.

"Are you certain no other Auror has been to your home?"

"Positive. It was only Chloe."

Then, all they needed to do was make the Auror who was coming later believe the lie. Which was obviously easier said than done. He then ended his spell.

"Ya don't suppose this guy is just gonna ignore the whole inspectin' thing and lock me up again, do ya?" The fear was evident in his father's voice.

Severus shook his head. "No. From what Professor Dumbledore told me earlier, the Auror will come here, make certain we are telling the truth of why you came here, and then decide what the best course to go from here is." He left unsaid how some parents would feel if they learned there was a convicted Muggle murderer, regardless if it was the truth or not, under the same roof as their children. He didn't need to darken his father's doorstep any more than it already was.

"Ah." Tobias then gave a sad chuckle. "Ya ain't still upset 'cause I chose this, right? Cause takin' the easy way just ain't me, son, and that's what it'd be if I just went along with the whole 'I'm dead' thing."

"It would've been a fresh start," Severus replied stubbornly.

"Yeah, maybe." Tobias shrugged. "At least until someone recognized me."

Severus's eyes dropped to Harrison instantly. So far, only McGonagall had seen Harrison, and she hadn't recognized him. Or at least if she did recognize him as being James and Lily's son, she didn't mention it or let it show. He brushed back Harrison's hair affectionately. He wasn't an idiot. He knew that he'd always run the risk of someone recognizing the boy. All it'd take was one photo, one memory, and it'd be all over. A seed of doubt always turned into a forest after a bit.

"Poor lad. His hair's actin' all like yers used to."

Severus turned towards his father before he looked back down at the toddler. The usually messy hair was lying a bit flatter today. His brows knitted together. Was Harrison already starting to become more like him? He didn't want the poor kid to lose everything he had received from his parents. But he also didn't want to be thrown into Azkaban for kidnapping either.

"Except the little waves," Tobias added a moment later.

Severus nodded hesitantly.

"He's gonna need a cut for sure soon. I take it ya can do that with just a wave of yer wand?"

Holding back a quiet laugh, Severus glanced at his father. "If magic were that easy, Dad, we wouldn't need to hold classes for the little brats."

"Ya know what I mean," Tobias replied. "And, hell, ya and yer mum always made it look easy."

"I assure you that it requires a lot of discipline and practice."

His father shrugged. "I wouldn't know, thanks to dear old Dad."

Severus felt his good mood lessen instantly. Would things have been better if his grandfather had allowed Tobias to attend Hogwarts? They'd certainly have been different. He then sighed, pushing the thought aside. What ifs were only going to drive him mad.

"We should probably get the lad to bed for the rest of his nap, don't ya think?"

Picking Harrison up carefully into his arms, he carried the small boy into the spare room filled with various stuffed animals that the Hogwarts' house elves had left for Harrison. He placed the sleeping toddler into the wooden crib. Brushing back Harrison's long dark hair once more (something he had been doing a lot of lately), he smiled down at the young boy before he grabbed the fluffy teddy bear from the shelf above the crib and went to situate it in Harrison's tiny arms.

"Uh, son," Tobias said hesitantly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"What?" Severus glanced at his father, noting the older man's pained look.

"No teddy bear."

Severus held the bear just out of Harrison's reach and stared at Tobias. "Why not?"

"Because yer mum would have my head," he replied honestly. When Severus seemed even more confused, Tobias gave a faint smile. "Yer mum always thought it'd be safer if we waited till ya were older, like walkin' and stuff, before ya slept with anythin' in yer crib. She'd always slap my hands when I tried to put somethin' in yer crib, sayin' I was tryin' to kill ya. So, let's be safe, yeah?" Tobias asked, grabbing the teddy bear from Severus and putting it back up onto the shelf.

"What's he supposed to sleep with then?"

"Nothing. At least not till he's older."

Severus glanced back into the crib and sighed. It seemed so bare. No teddy bears in the little boy's arms. No blanket pulled up to his chin. It was like he was basically showing the world he couldn't provide for the young boy already. That the child would grow up the same way he had.

"Uh-oh. I know that look," Tobias remarked quietly. "What are ya thinkin' about now?"

"He deserves better," Severus said with a sigh, closing his eyes.

"Huh?" Tobias then scoffed, shaking his head. "Son, stop. Yer doin' good here. Ya clearly love the boy. Uh-uh-uh," he said, wagging a finger at Severus who opened his mouth to argue. "Don't even try it. Ya love him. That bear was further proof of it. So, stop tryin' to kid yerself and say that ya don't. Because that's shit, and ya know it."

"But—"

"Flesh and blood don't make a family, Severus. Not a true one at least. Ya understand me?" Tobias didn't even wait for him to respond before he continued. "What makes a family is the effort and love ya put into it. I mean, hell, anyone can father a child. It ain't that complicated really. Just a matter of matchin' the parts up." Severus winced at his father's bluntness. "It takes a father, however, to step up and put his child before his own needs, his own desires, regardless of blood relation or not to the child. So, listen to me when I say that ya need to let that thinkin' go. Yer his father now."

"I know that," Severus stated with a frown. "But look at him."

"I am. He's happy. Or as happy as a toddler can be at least." Tobias shrugged. "And he knows he's loved. Which wasn't that the point ya were makin' earlier, that ya wanted the boy to feel loved?"

"He's just lying there, though, alone."

Tobias grinned faintly, gently clapping his son on the shoulder. "He ain't alone, Sev. Yer here." He gave his son a warm smile when Severus glanced at him. "Here. Let me tell ya story." He motioned towards the chair besides Harrison's crib. "So, when you were just young lad, not much older than him, I had to watch over ya some nights, cause yer mum had a double shift or some such thing like that. I sat beside ya, not wantin' nothin' to happen to my boy. I kept lookin' over at ya, thinkin' the same things ya probably are. About how sad ya had to be. That I was failin' with ya." His father shook his head, though, running a hand through his shaggy brown hair.

"It's all a pile of horseshit, son," Tobias explained. "I wasn't failin' because ya were in that big crib with nothin' around ya. I mean, ya had toys. Christ, I spent a whole paycheck on ya once. Bought ya this little jumpin' thing. You'd play in it for hours, jumpin' around like ya were a damn astronaut on the moon." Tobias chuckled as he recalled that time. "But every time I had to put you down in that crib and sit with you on those nights, there'd be this little voice tellin' me that I was failin' . . . that ya deserved a better life. One full of toys and all yer heart's desires . . . everythin' and anythin' that'd make ya happy. Took me a bit to realize ya didn't need all of that at that age. All ya needed was a captive audience really. Someone who was there, lookin' over ya, lovin' ya. That's all they really care about at this age, son. And yer showin' him that ya do. So, don't keep beatin' yerself up. Yer doin' good."

* * *

Later in the afternoon, there was a loud knock against the door to Severus's rooms. He glanced at his father instantly and caught Tobias's brief flicker of doubt. He hesitated for a moment until he caught Tobias's head bob. Once he saw that, he rose and opened the door, revealing two Aurors.

The older of the two Aurors had a dark brown beard that was just beginning to show signs of grey. Instead of aging the olive-skinned man, though, the short, well-trimmed goatee gave him a steely look of sophistication. Silver streaks were speckled about his temples. And his brown eyes, so dark the pupils were nearly invisible, appeared to stare straight through a person.

The other Auror, however, was a younger black man. His eyes were dark as well, but held a bit of a friendlier look to them. He wore a single gold hoop earring in his left ear and a blue crown-styled kufi cap upon his bald head.

"Professor Snape, I presume?" asked the Auror with a goatee.

"Yes." Severus then stepped aside, allowing them inside before closing the door.

"I'm Auror Rigotti," stated the older Auror before he motioned towards his younger counterpart. "And this is my partner, Auror Shacklebolt."

Severus dipped his head respectfully towards both of them.

"Nice to meet ya both," Tobias chimed in, trying to hide his nervousness.

"I believe you know the drill already, Mister Snape," Auror Rigotti brusquely said, motioning towards his partner to do something.

When Tobias forced a thin smile and headed for a nearby chair, Severus looked on in mild puzzlement. What drill exactly was there? His eyes narrowed when he caught Shacklebolt pull out a glass bottle of a clear-colored potion from his robes.

"Veritaserum?" Severus asked, his eyes darting to his father.

"Very good, Professor," Rigotti replied, nodding again to Shacklebolt.

Tobias must have then noticed his son's look of outrage. "It's fine, son. Doesn't even hurt."

They were going to give Tobias the most powerful Truth Serum?

"It was a condition of your father's release," Rigotti explained a moment later, noticing Severus's horrified look.

"You agreed to it?" Severus barked at his father. How stupid could that man be? Regardless of the fact that the man had no actual knowledge of magic besides that it existed, he'd have thought that his father would have at least had enough self-preservation in his body to not agree to something he didn't know about. For all Tobias could have known, it was poison.

"Course I did." Tobias then gave him the familiar 'Everything is going to be all right' look. "I don't have nothin' to hide, Severus."

"Go ahead, Kingsley," Rigotti cut in.

Severus looked on, unable to stop his father from taking three drops worth of Veritaserum mixed into a glass of water. His heart instantly raced, drowning out everything else. He would be joining his father in Azkaban when this was over. He just knew it.

"What is your full name?" Shacklebolt asked, a quill and pad of paper appearing next to him.

"Tobias Avery Snape," Severus's father answered devoid of all emotion, his blue eyes glazed over as a result of the potion. The quill quickly set off to writing down Tobias's answers.

"Where were you born?"

"Cokeworth."

"Do you have any children?"

"Yes. A son."

"And who is your son?"

"Severus Tobias Snape."

Severus noticed Shacklebolt's eyes quickly dart to Rigotti's a moment later before Shacklebolt received another nod to continue.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

The moment Severus heard the question, he tensed, his head snapping towards Shacklebolt. Even Rigotti seemed to be taken back by the question.

Tobias seemed to hesitate briefly. It was clear that he wasn't fighting against the potion. Instead, he seemed to just be hesitating as he thought on it before he answered. "I don't know."

"Do you dislike non-magical people?"

"No."

"Do you dislike magical people, then?"

"No."

"Do you believe you are responsible for the attack on the pub twelve years ago in Cokeworth?"

"No," Tobias replied instantly.

Rigotti and Shacklebolt shared a quick look before Shacklebolt continued.

"Why do you not know if you killed anyone?"

"After the man talkin' shit about my wife and son drew a knife on me, I don't remember anythin' else. Not until I had people pointin' sticks at me, sayin' I was under arrest."

Severus felt a sliver of hope rise up in him. There was no way his father could ever beat the Veritaserum. Severus himself had difficulties fighting against it sometimes. Tobias had to be telling the truth. Even the Aurors had to see that.

"Do you know what this is?" Shacklebolt asked after pulling out another bottle from his robes. This time the bottle was bigger and filled with a bright orange liquid.

Tobias glanced at the bottle and stared at it for a moment before he replied. "Yes."

Rigotti and Shacklebolt tensed instantly before they recovered quickly. Severus's heart dropped the moment he heard his father's answer. This didn't bode well for them at all.

"What is it?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Some kind of magical potion."

Severus's eyes narrowed before he understood his father's answer. To Tobias, it was just a potion. But if he knew the specific one . . .

"All right." Shacklebolt sighed before he asked, "What does this potion do then?"

Tobias paused again before he answered. "I don't know."

"Have you ever seen this potion before?" Shacklebolt asked, his eyes darting to Rigotti.

"No."

Severus caught Shacklebolt's lip tremble slightly as if he were about to smile before the Auror nodded and continued his line of questioning.

"Have you been in contact with your son before last week?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"I wrote him every day since I was sentenced," Tobias answered emotionlessly. "I would give the letters to Chloe to send."

"Did you see your son before last week?"

"Yes."

Severus's eyes narrowed even more. It was impossible for his father to lie. So, how was it possible that Tobias was telling the truth about seeing Severus when Severus knew without a doubt that he hadn't seen his father before then?

"How?" Shacklebolt inquired.

"I received a package in the post from my wife awhile back that had a photo album of our boy in it. So, I would look at it from time to time. Read the clippin's she'd put in it. Like the one that said he'd started teachin' at that fancy school of his."

Shacklebolt nodded before he glanced towards Rigotti, who held up two fingers and gave a slight nod in return to the unspoken question.

"What happened after your son showed up on your doorstep?" the Auror asked calmly.

"Me bein' gone for so long had hurt him deep, so we fought. He wanted to leave once he saw me, sayin' it was a mistake comin'. After twelve or so years of not seein' him and then him just showin' up, I didn't want him to go, so I practically begged him inside. Pointed out the funny lights off in the distance that even I knew weren't fireworks. All I could think of was losin' him again. And I couldn't do it. Shit, to get him to show up on my doorstep, the bastard who abandoned him all those years ago, somethin' was up . . . and my boy had come to me. He had come to me, so I took the chance. A desperate man wantin' to do some good with his boy. To make up for all the other shit I'd done."

Severus closed his eyes, hearing the regret in his father's words. The man truly did want to do better. Without a doubt, he could see that. Did the others see it, too, he wondered.

"So, I led him inside to talk. Which we did." Tobias paused for a moment. "Sorta."

Severus caught the instant look between the two Aurors and sighed inwardly. However, before any of them could continue, loud sharp cries of a young child erupted from the spare room. Harrison had woken up from his nap.

Without batting an eye, knowing that if he had it'd have looked suspicious, Severus stood. "If you'll forgive me," he stated quietly turning towards the spare room.

He had hoped that the young boy would have slept through the whole thing, but that hadn't been the case unfortunately. He caught the slight nod of approval from Rigotti and quickly headed off to retrieve Harrison from his crib.

A moment later, Severus found Harrison squirming and shrieking in his crib, clearly mad at the world and letting everyone know it, too. He instinctively grabbed the crying boy, holding Harrison against his chest soon after. As he held him, he couldn't help but recall his future self saying that he'd learn how to care for the child. And there he was, doing just that.

"What's wrong, brat?" Severus asked, raising a brow at Harrison. "Is someone not getting enough attention right now?" he mocked.

Instead of continuing his screams of bloody murder, though, Harrison went silent and calmly rested his head against Severus's shoulder not long after he had been picked up.

The moment this happened, Severus felt a flicker of something, something he had been feeling a lot lately strangely enough, appear inside himself. He gently rubbed the little boy's back in response, feeling that flicker grow. Little Harrison was quickly becoming _his_ little brat. Would he find more things his future self was correct about as time passed? His eyes then lowered back onto Harrison. It certainly was beginning to look like that would be the case. He found himself wondering for a moment if everything his future self had divulged would come true if would truly be a bad thing. He quickly came to the decision that it wouldn't be. Perhaps it would be, in fact, better actually. After all, he had tasted darkness for most of his life. Perhaps now it was time to try the light.

"Come on, brat," Severus said quietly with a semi-affectionate tone, turning towards the door. "Let's go see if your idiot grandfather talked his way into Azkaban yet." When Harrison giggled instantly, Severus couldn't stop the smile from reaching his lips.

When he and Harrison returned to the sitting area again a few moments later, Severus found his father stretching, as if he had just woken from a long nap.

"This must be the son that Professor Dumbledore was telling us about," Rigotti said with a jerk of his head towards Harrison.

Severus nodded slowly, his hand instinctively pressing the little boy further into his chest as if to protect him from the Auror. "Yes." He then drew in a breath before he glanced towards the toddler, finding Harrison's green eyes speckled with hints of brown staring back at him. "This is Harrison."

"Ain't he the cutest goddamn baby you ever saw?" Tobias cut in with a loud laugh. "He's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up. I just know it."

The two Aurors smiled pleasantly in return.

"Well, how'd I do?" asked Tobias soon after, looking at both Aurors. "Am I goin' back?"

Rigotti sighed and gave a quiet laugh. "Unfortunately, Tobias, you did knowingly break the terms of your release by admitting to contacting your son. However, seeing as how those terms are pointless," Rigotti drawled with a half-shrug, "we'll call it even and say house arrest here at the castle with your son and grandson. How's that?"

Severus's brows furrowed briefly. "Forgive me, but . . . why do you believe the terms are pointless?" he asked curiously. He must have missed something while he was off in the other room with Harrison, because what the Auror was saying didn't make a bit of sense to him.

"It's all right." The Auror then smiled towards him, as Shacklebolt looked on silently. "When Professor Dumbledore informed us about your father being here to settle things with the Ministry, Kingsley and I naturally looked over your father's case. So, we looked at the evidence again, since neither of us had been involved with it. It was Kingsley there who noticed the glass fragments and a bit of tiny orange liquid on a fragment in a crime scene photo from the pub."

"So, you then believe my father to be innocent?"

"We do." Rigotti shook his head. "A case of severe accidental magic is one thing. We've seen more than our fair share of that over the years. But looking at the evidence, it just didn't support it. Not when there was photographic evidence that indicated the presence of an unstable potion known for its destructive qualities. In fact, the further we dug into your father's case, the more uncertain we became of his guilt. I'm certain I don't need to tell you this, but you're not exactly a well-liked man, Tobias."

Tobias shrugged in response. "Yeah, I may have ticked off more than my fair share of people."

"A gross understatement," Rigotti replied with a laugh before he continued. "Anyway, it became clear during our rereading of his file that there were obvious missteps taken in your father's case on behalf of the Ministry. So, when we came here today, we wanted to see if our theory of someone framing your father was probable. Judging by the fact your father couldn't identify the potion used, I'd say that would be more than probable at this point."

"Wait. What does that mean?" Tobias asked, frowning and scratching his head quietly.

"It means, Mister Snape," Shacklebolt answered, "that we are reopening the investigation of the pub bombing you were convicted of twelve years ago."

"But if he was framed, then . . ." Severus's voice trailed off when he caught Rigotti's smile.

"Then it means we've got to tread carefully until we have all our ducks in a row, yes. Which is why we're going to recommend that he be punished for his breaking the terms of his release." Severus's eyes closed. "Whomever it was that wanted Tobias out of the way, they clearly had deep pockets to get Aurors and other Ministry officials to look the other way and convict an innocent man. So, we're not going to take any chances and tip them off. So, for a bit, things have to remain the same, I'm afraid."

Tobias groaned, his shoulders sagging.

"Thankfully, though, you're at Hogwarts," Rigotti continued, giving Tobias a sympathetic smile. "And the only ones who know you're here currently are your son, Headmaster Dumbledore, and us. Which means Shacklebolt and I have some wiggle room to give you a bit more freedom, while still making it appear that you're locked away."

"Meanin' what exactly?"

"Meaning that you may remain here with your son and grandson, Tobias, while we find the ones responsible for framing you. If we're lucky, it shouldn't take more than a year. There was quite a bit of evidence in the files that would cast a good size of doubt in your favor. However, if we could find out who exactly would frame you and why, it would make the process go a lot quicker."

Severus couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. "Roger Stephenson." He caught Tobias's head jerk towards him, as well as the others'.

"Who's Roger Stephenson?" Rigotti inquired.

"Son, don't. Roger doesn't have a thing to do with this. I mean, he may be a git needin' a good pop in the nose, but . . . He wouldn't have the balls or brains for this."

Severus shook his head, though, brushing off his father's words. He needed to get this out there. Though, he didn't really have a clue why.

"A man my father worked with over at the mill before it closed down. Once my father was out of the picture, Roger swooped in. They moved in together fairly quickly." It was starting to become easier to breathe. "He has a history of threats and . . . violence." He knew he should elaborate on what sorts of violence, but he couldn't. Not with his father right there. "I've not seen my mother nor heard from her since I left home, which if you knew her at all you would know is quite abnormal for her. He has something to do with this. I'm certain of it."

"Do you have a last known address for her?" Severus and Tobias both nodded. "All right. Well, then write it down, and we'll check it out." Severus quickly did, handing it to the Auror. "If we find anything, we'll let you know." Shacklebolt and Rigotti then bowed their heads before they calmly walked out and left.

"It can't be him, son. It's gotta be someone else. Not when that bastard's alone with yer mum."


	17. Number 12, Grimmauld Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My updates for this fic seem to be getting quicker, don't they? :) This chapter turned a little darker in spots, so I apologize for that, but I'm going to blame that on the Horcruxes. Some of you have been wanting to know whom Severus married. Let me assure you that you will in the end know her name. The reason why he hasn't said it thus far is because it's too painful for him to say her name quite yet. As always, thank you so much for your lovely reviews and comments. I truly do appreciate every single one of you who have stuck with me so far. That said, enjoy.

Barely blinking, Severus watched the old house Muggles couldn't see that was tucked neatly between numbers 11 and 13. Every now and then, he'd catch a light turn on inside Number 12, but most of the time the house remained dark. As yet another vehicle sped past and blocked his view of the house for half a second, he let out a soft sigh, his mind wandering briefly. He still wasn't certain how he was going to get inside the house.

The longer he stood there, the more he pondered about if he could keep this up. The darkness he'd first noticed when dealing with Riddle's diary was growing inside him. He was aware of it now, feeling it eat away at his soul bit-by-bit. In fact, more times than he'd care to admit after the Horcrux's destruction, he had woken up, drenched in sweat, after having yet another hellish nightmare, full of murder and mayhem. Without a doubt now, he knew that if Narcissa hadn't been with him in the library that day, he'd have been incapable of destroying the diary. The darkness in that Horcrux had affected him greatly, seeping into his very soul and poisoning it. But he had known the dangers before he had undertook this mission, having heard from Harry all about the effects the Horcruxes had on Harry, Weasley, and Granger during their hunt. He had assumed, though, that his Occlumency would have shielded him from the effects, but that certainly wasn't the case he had learned.

As a light turned on in one of the upper floor windows again, Severus leaned back against the sturdy oak tree. He wasn't worried about being noticed by any of the passersby, Muggle or otherwise, as his Disillusionment charm would prevent that. No, his mind remained on if he would have enough strength to complete his mission. Another symptom of the Horcrux's poisoning, he decided glumly.

Perhaps instead of using a bit of Narcissa's hair that had unfortunately transferred onto himself, he would go back to Narcissa in person. Explain things to her. Have her help him get into Grimmauld and her sister's vault. She must have suspected something as it was, being the intelligent witch she was. She could probably even convince Lucius to help as well. The three of them together would have no problem with the Horcruxes.

A different pain arose within him suddenly. A familiar ache deep within him. The darkness latched onto it like the parasite it was and fed on it like it was three-course meal.

It wasn't Narcissa whom he wanted. Not even Lucius with her.

He drew in a shaky breath, forcing himself to breathe. He needed to calm himself. To stem the bleeding of his emotions and stop the darkness from gaining even more ground.

Whom he wanted by his side was the one person he couldn't have there as she had been taken from him and murdered.

Without warning, a rage so intense shot through his whole being. His eyes darkened as he heard the voice in his mind purr how he should have his revenge and seek out those responsible for the deaths of his wife and unborn child. How wonderful it would be to see the blood pour out of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestranges' bodies. To hear theirs screams fill the night skies. To kill them before they would ever get near his wife.

He could almost smell the thick scent of death. He could almost hear the screams, the pleas for their lives. He could almost see the light leave their eyes, the blood painted on the walls. All it would take was just a few slashes of his wand once he found them, and they would be no more. He'd have avenged the deaths of his wife and child.

Another voice, weaker and barely noticeable, joined in then. This voice sounded as if it were trying to be heard over the blinding rage inside him. As if it were fighting the darkness within him. And just that, he closed his eyes and focused more on that second voice; a voice that had calmed him so many times before, the voice that strangely enough sounded like his dead wife's.

He clung to her voice like a drowning man wishing to be saved. He clutched onto her memory like a child with a teddy bear on a stormy night. With all his strength, weak as it was now, he held onto her, never wanting to let go. He let his mind recall their memories together, allowing them to fill him and drown out the terrible darkness.

He recalled their first meeting after she had joined the staff and his riling her up with his comment about her poor choice in clothing. The memory then went to another. The Yule Ball, where she had followed after him and requested a dance—that he had denied her of just out of spite. He then saw the memory of her congratulating him on the Defense post. She had been the only one to do so. It wasn't until the memory skipped again to after he had been rushed to St. Mungo's that he felt the strength return. He could almost feel her hand holding his, as the memory flashed in his mind. He could recall her smile, warm and kind, as she told him that day he could take her strength until he was fully healed and promise to never reveal to anyone that he had done so.

He needed her strength now more than ever. But the past, he knew, wouldn't help him. So, he then would look onto their future. She was always there by his side. He just had to open his eyes and see her. In his timeline, it had taken a tragedy in order for that to happen, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be the case this time. The corner of his lip turned upwards. At least not if he had anything to say about it.

It was easier to breathe now. To think. He had managed to push back the darkness again.

Having seen no movement for quite a bit now, Severus pulled his wife's journal from his breast pocket of his robes. His fingers lightly passed over his wife's elegant cursive for a moment before he turned to the page he had been looking for. He glanced back up at Number 12 to make certain there was no change and then back down to the journal when he decided all was fine, rereading her entry.

_Too many Slytherins over the years have lost themselves to the darkness, seduced by its powers. Acceptance seems to be a key ingredient to tell if one will succumb or not. Reg, for example, did everything he could to be seen as the perfect son. Would it have stopped him from taking the Dark Mark if he had just once been told that he didn't have to share his parents' beliefs in order to be loved by them? No. That can't be all it is. It has to be a series of things. He wanted his parents' love, to make them proud. Yet after time, this want feigned as he realized what he had sacrificed. What if he had been told before his death, before he took the Mark, of that? The sacrifices for the Greater Good . . ._

Severus gave a quiet snort. He had tested out that theory with Dumbledore. So far, it seemed to have made some significant changes. What with Neville's parents being spared the cruel fate of insanity.

A thought then slowly occurred to him. He glanced back at Number 12. Regulus had taken the Dark Mark, and his parents were proud of that. He wondered if they knew the full story of what had happened. As legend went, Mrs. Black never ventured out of her house after her husband died, so it was possible he was correct in his assumption. He reached towards his left arm, rolling up his sleeve. He grimaced at the deep scar that was the only reminder of the Dark Mark. It would have to do.

Standing tall once again, Severus glanced left then right before he removed the Disillusionment charm. He strode across the street soon after and up the walkway to the black door. He knocked once. Neither Kreacher nor Mrs. Black would recognize him, as he hadn't ever been there before yet. In fact, he was pretty certain that Kreacher would, upon seeing the Mark, consider him just another Death Eater and not spare him another look. When the door opened, Severus glanced down at the house elf.

"Yes?" Kreacher said suspiciously, staying far enough back to prevent others from seeing him.

"I wish to speak with your Mistress," Severus answered calmly, letting the elf see the Dark Mark-shaped scar. "You may tell her that a friend of Regulus's is here." He caught Kreacher's eyes widen before the elf popped away. He stepped inside then and closed the door.

"A friend of Regulus?" a harsh voice snapped several minutes later before Mrs. Black stalked towards him from a nearby room. Her eyes flashed dangerously. "My son has been—"

"I am aware of his disappearance, ma'am," Severus interrupted coldly. So, she wasn't aware that her son had died. He had been correct after all. "That is not why I am here."

Her eyes flickered down to his Mark before she drew in a sharp breath.

"The Dark Lord gave your son something prior to his vanishing. I require that item, Mrs. Black."

Her surprise flooded her face. "The Dark Lord entrusted Reg with something? My boy?" The pride could be heard so clearly in her voice. "What is this item?"

"A gold locket." Severus caught Kreacher's flinch instantly. "I'm afraid I cannot give any further details than this; it will help restore the Dark Lord to his glory once again and allow us to finally exterminate all those pathetic Muggles." He watched Mrs. Black's smile deepen.

She snapped her fingers at Kreacher a moment later. "Go fetch it for him."

"Yes, Mistress," Kreacher replied shakily before he popped back out of the room.

"So, this locket, you say, will restore the Dark Lord?" Mrs. Black asked curiously, the wheels clearly spinning in her mind.

"Yes." Severus frowned when he heard something crash in a nearby room. Kreacher obviously was wrestling with himself in handing over the locket.

"I see." When another loud crash filtered into the room, she wore a look of extreme displeasure. "Kreacher!" she shrieked. "Stop that!" It went silent instantly, and she shook her head in response before she adopted a more pleasant tone towards Severus. "I apologize for him. He's not been quite the same since my son's disappearance."

Severus forced a polite smile and inclined his head. Yeah, he bet the elf wasn't the same.

Kreacher then popped back into the room, the gold locket tinkling softly in his shaking hands.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Give him the locket!" Mrs. Black barked, her frown deepening.

Severus held a hand out and waited. When he caught the house elf's skeleton fingers tighten around the locket a moment later, he glanced back at Mrs. Black. "Well now, I see where your elf's loyalties reside. And perhaps yours too for that matter." He turned towards the door to leave. "And here the Dark Lord always thought so highly of your family." He shook his head, feigning disappointment. "He had offered to find Regulus if you provided him with the locket, but it's clear now that—"

"No! Wait!" Mrs. Black then whirled onto the tiny house elf. "Give him the locket now, Kreacher!" she snarled. "I order you!"

The sick compulsion took over instantly, and Kreacher thrust the gold locket into Severus's hands before the house elf leapt back, torn between punishing himself and running away. The moment Severus's fingers touched the locket, though, he felt the darkness jolt alive inside him again. He inhaled sharply before he bowed. He would wait to destroy it after he had left. There was no hurry anymore.

"Excellent. Thank you, Mrs. Black." He then headed for the door.

"Wait. What about my son?" the tortured mother begged. "When will the Dark Lord—"

Severus chuckled darkly, slowly turning to her. "Perhaps you should ask your elf." Kreacher yelped in surprise. "After all, it's my understanding it was there the night your son disappeared, ma'am." He watched horror spread across her face before it morphed into pure rage. The moment he saw her wand leveled murderously on Kreacher, he took his leave. Dead elves were nothing interesting to see.

* * *

Once Severus was settled a few hours later far from the Black family home, he pulled the gold locket back out from his pocket. He had triple checked the abandoned dwelling to ensure that there were no unfortunate interruptions before he finally decided all was well for him to continue with his mission. His eyes instantly became glued to the locket as it glistened warmly in the light.

His fingers brushed over the 'S' tenderly soon after. Perhaps he wouldn't destroy this one. It would be a shame to do so after all, knowing that it once belonged to the great Founder of Slytherin House. No. He'd leave this Horcrux untouched. After all, it wasn't set in stone that _all_ of the Horcruxes had to be destroyed.

His lips turned upwards, and the wrinkles near his eyes deepened. Yes, that was exactly what he would do this time. He would leave this Horcrux untouched and go onto the next one, which was the last one in fact. He chuckled quietly as he tenderly caressed the 'S' once more.

Perhaps he'd move on from destroying the final two Horcruxes and just hunt down his wife's murderers. Killing them would do just as much damage to the timeline as destroying the Horcruxes were doing currently, he figured. So, why not?

It couldn't be too hard to find the Lestrange brothers, Rodolphus and Rabastan. They may have went into hiding after the failed attempt on the Longbottoms certainly, but they wouldn't have gone too far. They would need to know what happened to their master in order to function properly. In addition, Severus knew the brothers quite well from his full blown Death Eater days when he believed the lies. So, if he had to guess, he would bet the brothers were somewhere near a brothel, getting their other fix to make up for their failures.

_Sectumsempra_ sounded rather appropriate for the brothers, Severus decided a moment later. They were after all his enemies. His smile deepened as his eyes darkened even more in response to his mind showing him the ghostly images of his murderous thoughts. If he were at all lucky, he'd come across Bellatrix there with the brothers as well. A quick yank of her hair, and he'd be on his way to Gringotts to destroy that hideous Hufflepuff Cup. It sounded so perfect to him. Three birds killed with one stone. He chuckled darkly. And here Albus thought it best to sacrifice the good all this time when he could have just picked off the Death Eaters one by one instead. How simple-minded he was.

No, it wasn't that. Severus quickly corrected himself. It wasn't that Albus was being simple-minded with his choices. It was that Albus didn't want his hands to get dirty and be tied to all the lost souls of predominately Slytherin House. Severus, though, didn't give a damn about getting his own hands dirty anymore. As it was, he had nothing left to lose. Life had provided that for him. So, if he wanted to slit Rabastan from ear-to-ear and stab Rodolphus repeatedly in the chest, there was nothing really preventing him from doing that anymore. He had nothing, so he'd lose nothing.

Without any warning, the terrible yet delicate sound of glass breaking nearby sent Severus's head to snap around towards the sound. His arm raised to shield himself from the spray of flying glass raining down on him like thousands of tiny daggers.

_Thump!_

He then hesitantly lowered his arm and caught sight of the ball that had hit the ground near his feet. His eyes narrowed on it before he slowly bent down and picked it up. When he heard soft footfalls as someone headed towards the front door, likely to retrieve their ball, he set the ball back down onto the floor and stepped into the shadows to hide himself from the intruder.

With his back pressed flush against the wall hidden in the shadows, Severus watched a young girl, no more than eleven, enter the room, her warm eyes darting wildly about as she looked for her ball. She raked her teeth over her bottom lip nervously before a wide smile suddenly took over when she saw it a moment later. She snatched it quickly and whirled around, her dark curls bouncing softly as she left once more, unaware that Severus had been watching her.

He stared where she had been for quite some time after she had left, unable to move. What the hell had he been thinking before? Killing the Lestrange brothers wouldn't do him any good. It might feel good for a second, but then it wouldn't as the realization would occur that it hadn't changed anything. His eyes glanced back down at the locket in his hands. He had to destroy that damn thing this moment. If only to remain semi-sane.

Pulling out the Basilisk venom he had bottled in a spare vial earlier after realizing that one of the Basilisk fangs had broken open somehow, he poured the venom into a nearby ceramic bowl, careful not to get any on himself, before he tossed in the gold locket quickly to get rid of the damn thing once and for all. Loud hissing and fizzing suddenly erupted from the bowl, reminding him of one of his old Muggle science experiments, the classic volcanic explosion. His eyes remained trained on the bowl, though, watching as the locket rattled violently in the venom prior to an inky gaseous blob that roared out of the gold locket and screamed its way out of the building into the sky.

Another Horcrux down. One more to go.

Severus sighed in relief, his head falling forward as his shoulders slumped. He had nearly given in to the terrible darkness yet again. What was wrong with him? He had a reason to live. He had a purpose. He was to end things once and for all to make it better for all the poor souls Albus had sacrificed needlessly. So, why then had he nearly thrown all his progress away?

He was strong-willed, stronger than most actually. Others would have chosen the easier path of redemption, but not him. He had chosen the long road, allowing himself to bear the brunt of others casting extreme doubt on him. He had endured comment after comment for years of people claiming that he was no good, that he was rotten to the core. He had pushed back against all of that with his actions in secret, allowing it only to come out after he had completed his path of redemption by giving Harry everything the boy would need in order to succeed in defeating Voldemort for good.

Yet there Severus was. Almost struck down again by another Horcrux. Seduced once more by the siren-like Dark Arts. He was proving all those who doubted him right with his actions.

His eyes fell onto where his wife's journal rested inside his breast pocket of his robes. He was letting her down. No. It was worse than that, he decided. He was failing her.

His breathing hitched instantly before he shook his head sharply. No. He would not. He would do better. He would prove her right again in the end. He just needed to keep his strength up. His finger gently brushed against his ring then, a flood of warmth filling him instantly.

"One more," he murmured. "One more and then we can be together again, my love."


	18. Fishy Business

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your continued support and showing me such love as you have. I've been trying to respond to your reviews as they come in, if your questions require further clarification. This is definitely starting to become one of my all-time favorite fics. Hope you enjoy.

Pinching the bridge of his nose and suppressing yet another groan, Severus covered his eyes and shook his head. This was not going at all like he had thought it would. They would be lucky if his father didn't burn their rooms down at this point.

"Okay, um, let's try this," Severus said, doing his very best to keep his patience from wearing thin. "You watch me as I demonstrate. Then, we'll do it together. All right?"

Tobias sighed loudly, glancing at the wand he was using warily.

"Son, on second thought maybe this ain't such a good idea."

"Dad, it's fine. Really. You wanted to learn, so . . . let's try again?" He slowly raised up his own wand. " _Lumos_ ," he murmured, a warm light quickly appearing at the tip of his wand. He then flicked his wrist and extinguished the light nonverbally. He could see his father's wariness grow and gave his father the most encouraging smile he could muster. "Successful casting relies mostly on intentions, Dad. So, keep your thoughts on your purpose of lighting the tip, and it'll work."

Tobias gave a soft snort and shook his head. "If you say so."

Severus crossed his arms at once. Maybe if he tried a different approach . . . "Perhaps it's your negativity, Dad, that's causing you to fail at the easiest spell known to man." He caught his father's brows furrow together instantly.

"It ain't my negativity that's the problem!" Tobias shot back.

"No? Then, please, by all means," Severus drawled, "do enlighten me as to what exactly the problem is." If his father said it was Severus whom was the problem, Severus was going to punch him. There was no way _he_ was the problem. He was being the most patient he had ever been before.

"Don't ya dare talk to me like that, young man," Tobias growled, pointing his finger at him. "I'm yer father! I may not been around for almost twelve of yer years, but, damn it, son, you are still my boy! So ya better adopt a better tone with me, or I'll find the nearest witch around here and tell her all about that cute little birthmark on yer ass, got it?"

Severus blinked, and his jaw dropped. What . . . ? He stared at his father for a good few minutes, hearing Harrison's giddy giggles behind him as the young imp looked on from the sofa.

"Now, it ain't the negativity, Severus. It's," Tobias paused, using Severus's stunned silence to speak, "well, shit—for almost twelve goddamn years I've wondered if I had killed those people, son. If I just, ya know, lost it and poof. Or rather boom, I guess," he corrected, scratching his head with a frown. "I mean, yeah, I did ask ya to teach me, but . . . I don't wanna lose ya, Severus. Not again. I don't think—I can't go through that again, ya know?"

"You're not going to lose me."

"Ya don't know that. All it takes is just one moment and then everythin' changes."

Severus glanced away instantly, unable to look his father in the eye and see the terrible pain in his father's eyes any longer. "Dad . . ." His voice faltered slightly. He then sighed quietly. It had been nine days since he had been reunited with his father, and he still didn't know the man as well as he should have. And the same was true vice versa as well.

"Hey, ya don't gotta say a thing, Severus."

He gave a quiet laugh, reluctantly turning back to look towards his father. "No, Dad. I do. We don't know a thing about one another."

"Sure we do," Tobias replied with a wide grin. "Some git decided to get even with me and framed me for those murders, takin' me away from ya and yer mum by gettin' me locked away in that cottage ya found me in. And you, well, ya fell into a bad crowd after I was gone and made some mistakes. What's more to know?"

Was it that simple? Was that all there was to know about each other? Severus shook his head, turning to pick Harrison up. He rolled his eyes when the little brat instantly rested his head onto Severus's shoulder. He had never seen such a clingy child before.

"Maybe you could tell me how you passed the time, Dad, after they dumped you in that cottage?" Severus asked with a shrug, settling down into the sofa.

"Not much happened actually. I'd write letters to yer mum and you, pass them off to Chloe once I was done, and then wait. Chloe would sometimes bring me a book. Didn't understand most of 'em, as they were wizard stuff. But the pictures were interestin'. Then I got that package yer mum sent with the album . . . and a few of yer old schoolbooks come to think of it."

"My schoolbooks?" Severus's brows furrowed in confusion. Why would she have sent them?

"Yeah." Tobias shook his head. "I never figured out why she sent them, though. Didn't make much sense to me. I mean, at first I thought it was so I could give 'em to ya if ya came by, but ya didn't." He then chuckled, something coming to mind. "First book I opened, I saw yer little corrections to it and had to laugh. Ya always were such a bright boy."

"Do you recall what books she sent?"

Scratching his head, Tobias thought for a minute. "Think they were all . . . I . . ." He sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know. Why do ya ask?"

"I thought maybe it was a message or something. Like she sent them as a code for help or where she was or . . ."

"Ya really think Roger's the one who did this, don't ya, son?"

"I do." Severus gently rubbed Harrison's back, feeling the young toddler nuzzle further into his chest. It was strange how comforting it was to have Harrison in his arms. Who would have known a sleepy toddler would be so soothing?

For the first time in years, he considered telling someone the full truth about Roger. He knew he had to get it off his chest one way or another, as he had already cracked the dam earlier by directing the Aurors to Roger in the first place. When Harrison yawned up at him sleepily a moment later, thought, Severus felt the dam burst wide open. It was those damn eyes, hidden underneath the speckles of brown now. Or maybe that was just what lie he was going to tell himself this time to make himself feel better.

"I get why you don't believe it, Dad. Why you can't believe that it's him. But the man you would go drinking with every now and then, I don't think that was the true side of him that you saw." He glanced towards his father, noticing the other man's confusion. "At first, he was nice. Wanting to help Mum and me around the house or with other stuff. But then the mask came off, Dad." He closed his eyes and turned away before he continued. "The first time, I believed him when he said he hadn't meant to hit me. That it was an accident. I thought about telling Mum, but she seemed so happy and things were going good it seemed. At least for her. I didn't want to make her sad again. So, I believed him.

"It kept up, though. Away from Mum's eyes. But if she would notice something, he'd make some excuse, roughhousing or I got into a fight with some kid, and I'd lie to her and go along with his excuses." A flash of pain crossed his face before he sighed. "Every single time, he would try something just to get me to start something with him so he could go to Mum later and tell her that I just flew mad at him for no reason. And, of course, she'd believe him." He glanced towards his dad. "Because it's not like it would be too far-fetched to believe, considering how many fights I was getting into at school back then. And it's not like I told her the truth and told her what sort of man he was either. I was too stupid for that. So I let it go on and escalate."

Harrison's head lifted up slowly, likely sensing Severus's turmoil inside. The little boy turned his head one way first and then the other way as he watched Severus speak.

"Owie?" Harrison softly asked once Severus had finished. He waited for half a second before he hugged Severus warmly. When he pulled back soon after, he gave him that 'Is it better now?' look.

Giving the little brat a faint smile in return, the young man gently pressed a kiss against the boy's forehead. "Thank you, brat." Harrison giggled loudly before he settled back against him. The familiar ache in his chest was lessening, as was the heaviness. In fact, he felt loads lighter now, the words coming much easier than before.

"When I wouldn't play along, he'd punish me." He glanced back towards his father, seeing the man's sadness in his eyes. He quickly looked away, his voice shaking slightly. Maybe he should stop talking as it was clear he was hurting his father as well as himself. But he found that he couldn't. The words were tumbling out, the truth setting him free finally. "He'd punch me over and over again, kicking me when his fist would get tired, making sure not to leave any visible marks. If Mum knew, though, . . ." The anger suddenly bubbled up inside as the guilt swirled around before it erupted out of him. "I should have fucking told her, Dad. Proved to her that I was telling the truth. That _he_ was the one full of shit, not me." The anger dripped off each word. "But, no. I couldn't do it, because I didn't want to hurt her. Disappoint her." When he felt his dad's hand suddenly on his shoulder, he glanced up at him. His father had moved to stand right next to him.

"Son, she'd never have thought that about ya. Yer mum loves you more than anything in the world." Tobias squeezed his shoulder gently before he jerked his head towards the end of the sofa. "Scoot over, will ya?" Severus did as his father asked, giving his father some space to sit beside him. "Ya know, sittin' in that damn cottage for so long, I've had time to figure things out. Get some perspective on things."

Severus's eyes narrowed but he waited patiently for his father to continue.

"So, I get now why she was so upset with me that night. She wanted yer birthday to be freakin' amazin'. Hell, I bet she was gonna bake you one of her famous cakes or something, but I didn't bring the milk home . . . so she couldn't."

_Oh._

"Severus, everythin' she did, she did for you. You, my boy, are her life, her pride and joy. Believe me when I say that."

A touch of guilt took over for a moment. "I should've said something."

"And I should've bought that damn milk like yer mum wanted. But, ya know, we can't change that now, son. All we can do is move on. Otherwise, we're lost in the past, son, and that ain't any good 'cause we'll miss out on the future as well."

"Yeah."

Severus sighed, thinking about Lily for half a moment. Would he have been lost in the past, stuck on Lily, for the rest of his life if his future self hadn't come back to mess with things? When he had heard that she had died, he had felt like his world had shifted completely, turned on its head. But now, it felt different, not so topsy-turvy. While her ranting letter about him had thrown a bucket full of ice on his feelings for her, it had given him perspective as well. She had moved on. Sure, it was with that arrogant toe rag James Potter, but she still had made her choice.

He then frowned as another thought occurred to him. He had begged the Dark Lord to spare her once he had known that the Dark Lord intended to go after the Potters. She, however, had stepped in front of her son, choosing death instead of the life Severus had begged the Dark Lord for. She never would have been Severus's. Perhaps if he had never chosen the Dark Arts, maybe, but even then it wasn't guaranteed that they'd be together and live happily ever after. The pieces suddenly fell into place. That was the thing his future self had wanted him to figure out for himself, that Lily wasn't his and never was but that there was one whom is if he'd just let go of Lily and see the other.

He glanced back down at Harrison. For now, though, he'd focus on being a father rather than his love life. He snorted quietly. If what his future self had said was still correct, then that could wait until later once everything else was settled first.

It was hope! That was what it was that he was feeling now with Harrison. Or was it love? He hadn't had much experience with either, though, so he supposed it could be either one. Harrison certainly brought out both emotions, though. He closed his eyes then and let the silence continue to fall around the three peacefully.

"Dad?" Severus asked after a few minutes had passed, another thought popping up.

"Yeah?" Tobias grunted quietly.

"Could I ask what you did spend the money on instead of the milk?"

Tobias smiled sadly. "Not the whiskey yer mum thought. I actually spent it on a bit of wood." He chuckled when Severus looked confused. "I was gonna make ya a owl out of it with a holder in it for yer letter when it came."

He stared at his father before he shook his head. "Why didn't you tell her that? That you spent it on wood for my gift?" If Tobias had just told Eileen that, then . . .

His father gave a soft self-deprecating laugh. "Because she wouldn't have believed me, Sev. I mean, it wasn't like she wasn't ever right about me spendin' our money on whiskey instead of whatever we needed that day. I did that loads of times over the years unfortunately. Tryin' to numb the pain and other such shit like that. So, it wouldn't have done a bit of good for me to tell her about the wood, because she'd have just thought I was a lyin' ol' bastard as it was."

Severus glumly thought it might have helped, though.

"But, shit, one good thing did come from me bein' locked away for so long." Severus's head whipped towards him. "I had time to get myself under control. To stop drinkin' and such. Almost twelve years sober actually if ya can believe it." Tobias rubbed the back of his neck quietly. "That not knowin' what had happened in that pub, havin' all these people breathin' down my neck and claimin' I had killed people . . . shit, it was a wake-up call to me." Tobias then laughed awkwardly. "Hey, how about we stop being so depressin', hmm?"

"And talk about what instead?"

"Hell if I know," his father drawled, shrugging.

"Well, you're loads of help."

Tobias chuckled, shaking his head. "Never said I was much help, son."

Severus rolled his eyes before he glanced towards Harrison who was squirming and wiggling against him. Loosening up his hold on the little boy, he watched Harrison scoot to the edge before swinging his feet over the edge.

"What are you up to, brat?" he asked the mischievous toddler.

Harrison then pointed enthusiastically towards the floor, clearly irritated that Severus wasn't able to understand him. "Down!" he cried, his little arms waving frantically. When Severus raised a brow, a more demanding tone erupted from the little boy. "Down! Down, Dada! Down!"

Severus grabbed him at once and set him down onto the floor. The moment he released the boy, though, he regretted it. Harrison took off running towards the window before bumping into it, his face now firmly pressed against the glass.

"Ishy!" Harrison yelled out muffled by the glass before he whirled around to look back at Severus. With a wobble, though, he fell onto his butt a moment later, still excited by whatever fish he saw in the lake. "Ishy! Ook! Ishy!"

"Yeah, that is a big fishy, ain't it?" Tobias replied, chuckling as he rose to stand.

Severus rolled his eyes before he glanced towards the fire that was flickering in the fireplace. His eyes narrowed for a moment prior to seeing the familiar face appear in the flames. His good mood slowly vanished.

"Forgive my intrusion," Albus Dumbledore stated quietly from the fireplace, "but I wish to speak with you privately for a few moments, Severus. If you could step through, please?"

"Go on, son," Tobias urged, his hands loosely around Harrison to keep him from running towards the flames. "I got this."

Severus glanced down at Harrison then, noticing the little boy's confused look. No doubt, the little boy was worried that he wouldn't see him again either.

"I'll be there in a moment, Headmaster," Severus replied briskly, not bothering to look at the fireplace. Once he heard the soft pop that signaled that Albus's head had returned to his office, Severus calmly then walked over to Harrison, kneeling down in front of the boy. "It's okay," he murmured, making sure to meet Harrison's fearful eyes. "I'm going to be back here in just a few minutes, Harrison. I promise. Do you understand me?" When the little boy launched himself towards him and wrapped his little arms around Severus's neck a moment later, Severus closed his eyes briefly, feeling the familiar flicker inside grow even more. This sweet little boy was so full of love. "Everything's going to be all right, brat. I just need to speak with the Headmaster about something." He felt Harrison's little body start to shake as the toddler started to cry. "Hey, no tears. Everything's fine. Grandpa's here with you."

"Dada!" Harrison wailed, though. His grip on Severus tightened instantly. It was as if the little boy was convinced this would be the last time he would ever see Severus.

At that realization, a terrible pit emerged in Severus's stomach, increasing with each tearful wail of 'Dada' from Harrison. If he had more time, then maybe he . . . He gently hugged the scared little boy back before he murmured a soft spell. It was the only way to ensure his leaving was as painless as possible for both of them, he reasoned. The moment he felt Harrison's body slacken, he sighed quietly and picked the little boy up into his arms, carrying him over to the sofa. He then caught his father's look.

"Ya do know that ain't exactly the right way to handle that, right?" Tobias asked sarcastically.

"It was better than allowing the brat to become hysterical," Severus replied gruffly, not liking at all the guilt churning inside of him currently. "And, well, it's only for a bit until I return." His frown deepened when he saw his father's disapproving look. What other option was there? Spelling Harrison asleep was the best way. He was certain of it. As the moments dragged on, the guilt increased until it finally just burst out of him. "All right. Okay, you're right, Dad," he conceded, throwing his hands up into the air. "Using my magic to spell him asleep isn't the correct method, but I didn't have time to reason with a seventeen-month-old." Or rather sixteen-month-old, he corrected silently.

"Fine." His dad shrugged. "Just be ready to deal with the consequences of that later, all right? Cause trust me. He's likely gonna be crabby with ya when he wakes up."

"He can't understand—"

"He's seventeen months old. So, I hate to break it to ya, son, but even at that age they do get a whole hell of a lot right now. He just can't always explain it to ya in words."

"So you're saying that he'll—"

"Know that ya did somethin' to him to make him sleep, yes. And he's gonna be crabby over it." Tobias then shrugged. "Cause the way he just hugged ya, it don't take a rocket scientist to get that he at least knows the two people he previously thought were Mum and Dad left him. He may not know how or why, but he knows that deep down. It's why he's so clingy with ya. Boy's got some abandonment issues goin' on."

Severus glared. "Since when did you become an expert in child psychology?"

Tobias chuckled in return. "I ain't an expert. I'm just tellin' ya what I see." He then motioned towards the door. "Ya better get goin' before ya get into trouble."

It took him a moment before he realized why Tobias had motioned towards the door. His father didn't know that he could just use the Floo instead.

"You'll watch him?"

"With my life," Tobias replied. "You'll tell me later if there's any news about your mum?"

Severus nodded. "Of course." He then glanced at the fireplace. "Please, don't be alarmed, but I'm going to need to use the Floo, Dad. And to use it, I need to—"

"Step into the fire," Tobias said quietly. "Yeah, I got that. Just don't burn yerself."

Giving his father a faint smile, he grabbed a bit of the Floo powder before he stepped in and called out his destination, "Headmaster's Office." The flames enveloped him suddenly before he emerged from the fireplace in the large office.

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside the office. Several candles were lit, but without the curtains being open it was a losing battle. The second thing he noticed was Dumbledore standing at a cabinet to the side with his back to Severus. He watched as Dumbledore pressed the tip of his wand to his temple before a silvery-white strand emerged. He waited silently and watched as Dumbledore added this strand to the Pensieve.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Severus called out respectfully a moment later, his hands clasping behind his back.

Dumbledore gave him a sad smile. "You need not show me so much respect, my boy," the old wizard quietly murmured. "We both know I do not deserve it anymore."

Severus's head turned slightly in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand, sir."

Again, Dumbledore smiled sadly before he motioned to a chair, slowly walking towards his desk. Once they both sat down, he spoke again. "A, shall we say, ghost from the future visited me some days back. One that I believe you have had the pleasure of speaking with as well, judging by recent events." He didn't wait to hear Severus's response. "You must understand me, my boy. I never meant for so many to feel such pain by my actions. I truly did believe it was the right way."

Severus's eyes narrowed even more, his brows furrowing. He believed what was the right way? What had Severus's Future self shown Dumbledore exactly?

"I did as you asked of me that day, Severus. I hid James and Lily away with their son. I even suggested to them to perform the Fidelius Charm on my family's home to add further protections." He shook his head. "You know how well that turned out, though."

"They were betrayed, Headmaster," Severus argued, having read all about the _Prophet's_ version.

"So it seems." He shook his head again. "But whether that was by Sirius Black or not has yet to be seen, I'm afraid."

Severus clenched his jaw briefly. "You then disagree with the _Prophet_?"

"Don't you?" Dumbledore replied, glancing over his spectacles at him knowingly.

Severus felt the familiar tinge of guilt wiggle inside. Did he believe that Sirius Black had sold out James and Lily to the Dark Lord? If he were honest, he'd grudgingly admit he didn't. But he didn't want to be honest with himself about Black.

"I understand your feelings, Severus."

He scoffed at once, giving Dumbledore a look of disbelief. "You understand them, sir?" He shook his head. Half the time now even he didn't understand them anymore.

"With Sirius in Azkaban, you feel as if he's finally received the proper punishment for what occurred between you two during your school years. After all, you are right, Severus. Sirius's prank very likely could have killed you, had it not been for James."

"But?" Severus said bitterly, knowing that Dumbledore wasn't finished.

"But I wonder if we aren't perhaps believing a fabricated version in hopes to believe that someone is being punished ultimately. Much like your father's incarceration, I would imagine."

"My father didn't kill anyone, sir," Severus spat out.

"No. He didn't, but—"

"If you called me up here, sir, to discuss theories on how Black of all people is somehow innocent, then forgive me, sir, but I must take my leave. Now!"

"That is not why I called you here, Severus," Dumbledore replied with a quiet sigh. "I called you here to explain a few things to you. A sort of atonement, I suppose, for my errors."

"And Black is one of them, sir?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes." Dumbledore inclined his head. "He is." He then pinched his lips together before he continued. "I allowed my feelings about my own House to supersede the seriousness of James and Sirius's transgressions against the other Houses. Against you, Severus."

Severus quickly stood up, unable to sit there any longer. He needed to move about the room freely to remove himself from Dumbledore's admission. Why did everyone feel the need to admit their errors to him now? To bring up the past yet again and force him to recall that wretched time again.

"Yes, I've heard those particular lines quite a bit recently, Headmaster. The last time was from McGonagall actually." Severus allowed his hands to clasp behind his back again.

"She means her words, my boy, as do I."

He whirled around, his eyes flashing dangerously. "All due respect, what good does your words do me now, sir?" He saw the pain instantly cross Dumbledore's face before the older wizard glanced down and hung his head.

"You're right. They do no good to you now."

"So why utter them then, sir? Why waste your breath on me?"

Dumbledore lifted his head up slowly, meeting his eyes again. "Because I should have stood up for you back then, Severus. I should have punished them more severely than I did. I should not have allowed their tormenting of you, of anyone, to carry on as it had. I was wrong, my boy."

"Well, congratulations, sir," Severus bitterly replied. "But, again, it does me no good now." He then stepped towards Dumbledore. "Perhaps if you had stood up for me back then, things would have turned out differently. But you didn't. Instead, you allowed your little gang of precious Lions to terrorize half the school without a single one of you raising a finger and telling them to knock it the hell off! Not one of you did anything remotely productive to prevent it. Not one! Yet, here you are, sir, telling me how sorry all of you are for what happened." He scoffed. "So, forgive me for thinking all of you are full of shit, sir! When I needed you, all of you, you turned your backs to me. And why? Because of which goddamn House I belonged to, sir!"

Severus could feel himself shaking now. He couldn't stop even if he wanted to at this point. All the rage that had been building inside for years was bursting forth.

"Hogwarts was the very first place I felt at home!" he exclaimed. "Felt safe. And, guess what, sir? That feeling didn't even last one goddamn day before Potter and Black tried to ruin it! But in Slytherin, in the dungeons, they couldn't take that part of the castle from me. That, sir, is why the Dark Lord has been so damn successful in his recruiting! Slytherins stick together, because no one else will fight for us. Show us our worth. Our value!"

"Hear, hear!" the nasally voice of Phineas Nigellus cried out from his portrait.

"I am so sorry, my boy," Albus whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks. "Truly, I am."

"Your apologies do me no good, though. Because all they are, sir, are words. Meaningless words. Not you. Not Minerva. None of you mean it. They're just empty words."

"The wand I gave you, Severus," Dumbledore began, his eyes pleading with Severus's. "That wand is the one I won from Grindelwald. That wand is—"

"Is a wand, sir," Severus replied with a scoff. "I already have one. Why on earth would I need another? Let alone a wand that had been used by another Dark wizard."

"No, Severus. It is much more than just another wand. It's the Elder Wand."

That gave Severus pause instantly. He had read about that legendary wand extensively in his Hogwarts' years.

"You gave me the Elder Wand?" Severus then felt a headache starting. "Why in the Nine Hells would you give me that wand, sir?" He then scoffed as a thought came to him. "A wand with a bloody history, full of murder, yes, I see it now perfectly, sir. Bravo. You'll get rid of me—"

"No, Severus. It's meant to be with you."

"Meant to be with me? What madness are you talking about?"

"Our ghost showed me that." Dumbledore then gave a quiet laugh. "I don't think he intended to, though, but I saw it nonetheless."

"Well, I don't want it. You can keep your cursed wand, sir. I, for one, would much rather enjoy my life without the fear of being stabbed in the heart by some thief in the middle of the night." His eyes then narrowed. "Wait a minute. You sent me a cloak as well." He then stared at him dumbfounded.

"Yes, Severus. The second Hallow." Dumbledore sighed quietly, glancing down at his hands. "James Potter entrusted it to me prior to his death, I'm afraid. Perhaps you could give it as a gift for your son once he is older?"

Severus stared at Dumbledore, his mouth opening slightly. "So, you do know then? About . . .?"

"How your son came to be with you? Yes." Dumbledore gave a wistful smile. A part of Severus was glad to hear Dumbledore use the word 'son' when referring to Harrison. "Yet another thing the ghost showed me."

"I see." Severus fought the urge to draw his wand and _Obliviate_ the wizard in front of him. After all, Dumbledore hadn't turned him into the Aurors yet. So there was no need to overreact quite yet.

"You have nothing to worry about, my boy, I assure you."

"Is that right?" Severus glanced upwards and shook his head.

"I've seen what would've occurred if I had reached him first that night. And, unfortunately, you are right. His maternal family would have likely treated him poorly. Though, with her on the run now after her husband's murder . . ." He shook his head silently. "You, however, have shown the boy so much love and kindness. All of which you both deserve." Dumbledore then smiled politely. "Perhaps he'll heal the wounds we inflicted upon you, Severus."

"That's not—"

"You misunderstand me. I did not state that was your intention. I know they were pure and selfless. Your son deserves a loving home, and you can provide that. That's all."

Severus felt himself start to relax slightly. Dumbledore wasn't trying to take Harrison from him. He was trusting Severus with him. In fact, he was actually making a point of referring to Harrison as Severus's son, even though he knew the truth.

"Your concerns about your son's appearance are needless, I assure you."

He blinked, staring back at Dumbledore. He wasn't surprised that Dumbledore knew of those fears, because he knew that the wizard was a good reader of people. But how was it possible that he didn't need to worry about anyone recognizing Harry?

"Only six people ever visited them, myself included. The others were Bathilda Bagshot, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Who was the sixth?" Severus asked, unable to hold back his question. "And what about healers? Mediwizards? Mediwitches?" There had to be more than just six.

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore then forced an awkward smile. "The sixth person is a healer I know who works at St. Mungo's. I was the one who introduced her to them for pre- and postnatal care. Normally, I'd have sent Poppy, but she was unavailable at the time."

Severus frowned. "Is there a reason you aren't telling me this healer's name?"

"Well, yes, I'm afraid." Dumbledore then held up a hand to silence Severus. "Her name is Syra, and I've been informed that you saw her recently with Harrison."

Severus's stomach dropped. The icy blond healer who had interrupted Narcissa that day?

"She sent me an owl an hour after you had left St. Mungo's with Harrison, wondering what was going on. Luckily, I had been visited by the ghost of the future beforehand, so I was able to smooth things over with her and explain to her that it was part of my plan."

"She believed you?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, you would not have been the first I had sent to St. Mungo's with a child for her to see, Severus."

His eyes narrowed immediately. "Then, Narcissa was telling the truth. There are other children whose identities have been altered."

"Yes. From both sides," Dumbledore stated calmly. "The Death Eaters would bring them to hide evidence of their trysts with Muggles or Muggleborns. Order members, on the other hand, brought these children in so that they would be given a clean slate, safe in other words. Predominately, these children were orphans, the last of their bloodlines. The Auror previously in charge of your father's case, in fact, Chloe I believe she went by, was a child the Order rescued and gave a fresh start."

"The healer who saved her?" Severus asked quietly. "Was that this Syra?"

"Yes." Dumbledore inclined his head. "The Death Eaters use Narcissa, and we use Syra."

"How many children have you done this to?"

"Enough," he answered softly. "We keep an eye on them. Offer assistance when we can. Guide them onto certain paths sometimes. We don't let them know of our assistance, though, since it could potentially place the child in danger or upset the child even more."

Severus closed his eyes and shook his head. It reminded him of characters from old spy novels.

"Speaking of assistance, I've spoken with the Ministry again, concerning your involvement with Voldemort." He gave Severus a sad smile. "I'm certain you've heard Lucius Malfoy's excuse as to why he joined the Death Eaters?"

The young man sighed, rubbing the side of his face. "Yes." He had read the stupid write-up in the _Prophet_ yesterday all about how Lucius claimed that he had been Imperiused and forced to join. And the Aurors, stupid as they were, believed it.

"I've reiterated to the Aurors once again that you were acting on my orders."

Severus glanced at him.

"And they believe you?"

Dumbledore shrugged slightly. "My word does carry a bit of weight in the Ministry, as you know, Severus. Though, they did also include a condition to which I happily agreed to."

Severus's brows furrowed. "What sort of condition?"

"If you act in any manner the Ministry finds threatening or could be deemed as aiding any of your former comrades, I will be joining you in Azkaban as well."

"You . . . Why would you agree to that?!" Severus yelled, his heart pounding. Was everyone around him an idiot?

"Because I know you've left that part of you behind now, Severus, and have moved on." Dumbledore slowly steepled his fingers together, meeting Severus's eyes. "That letter I gave you shortly after informing you of Lily's death . . . we both know it is helping you move on from your past. Having heard from others how you are with young Harrison and your father—it is clear to me that you have changed, Severus. You are not the same angry young man you were before her death. You've grown these past two weeks." Dumbledore then sighed sadly. "As have I. I have seen the grave mistakes I've made or would have made. The pain I'd cause." He glanced down at his desk. "Which is why I have submitted my resignation to the Board."

"What?"

"I brought this darkness to our world, Severus." Dumbledore shook his head somberly. "I found Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort as you know him, in a Muggle orphanage. I had been sent to retrieve him from there for his first year here at Hogwarts."

Severus's eyes narrowed. Why was Dumbledore telling him this?

"I kept an eye on him over the years. Saw the darkness grow in him that others didn't. You see, Severus, it is my fault that he grew in power, because I brought him here."

"You couldn't have known that he'd—"

"No. You're right. I couldn't have, but I knew there wasn't something quite right about him." Dumbledore then drew in a calculated breath before he closed his eyes. "As did your mother, Severus."

The young man stared at Dumbledore, barely breathing.

"She had come to me once during her school years about Tom. He was a sixth-year at the time. She had stated that he had been very interested in her for some reason, asking her all about her family. She had politely declined, as I'm certain you can imagine how difficult it is to speak about her family."

"She hated them," Severus replied, shaking his head as he recalled the only time she had ever spoken about her side of the family. "Believed they would sell her to the highest bidder if it meant they could hang onto their glory a bit longer. They disowned her after she married my father."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I don't understand what this has to do with you resigning, though, sir."

Giving him a soft smile, Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I sat back as Grindelwald ravaged our world the first time. And while I challenged Voldemort when we would meet, I never ended it once and for all." He held his head up a bit higher. "No more should die for my mistakes, Severus. So, I'm resigning and keeping that faded Mark on your forearm from ever turning black again." Dumbledore then met his eyes. "So, it's not just words anymore, Severus. I am going to find where Voldemort went after Godric's Hollow and end him once and for all."

"And what about Hogwarts, sir?"

"Minerva will naturally be offered the headmistress position first. If she desires it, it's hers. I've given the Board my blessing for it." Dumbledore then clasped him on the shoulder. "My time has passed, Severus. You've shown me that."

Severus glanced at him before he shook his head.

"I've already spoken to her about this. She, like you, doesn't want this outcome either, but it needs to be done," Dumbledore stated.

"So, then you've chosen to abandon us?"

"No. I've chosen to take the difficult road that I placed so many others on lately. A taste of my own medicine, I suppose, you could say."

"Forgive me, sir, but this seems like . . . First, you give me several of your possessions. Now, you tell me this." Severus stared at him, unable to finish his thought.

"It's nothing of the sort, my boy." Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just something I must do, because, ultimately, you are correct. My words will do no good to anyone."

"But neither will your death!"

"And here I thought you had lost your pessimism," Dumbledore joked. "All will be well, Severus. Please, trust me as you have done so far."

"Trust you?" Severus shook his head. "And what if Minerva grows tired of me one day because I punished one of her Lions, unfairly in her mind, and throws me out of the castle? What then?"

"Then you have decided to return to teaching?" Dumbledore replied, slightly surprised.

"I . . . I haven't made a decision yet, but what if that occurs? It's not as if others will be as forgiving and trusting of a former Death Eater as you have been, sir."

Dumbledore then glanced behind him, and his smile grew. "Ah, Minerva, excellent timing." Severus whirled around. "What of Severus's question? Would you throw him out once I'm gone?"

Severus groaned inwardly. Of course she would enter the office right at that moment.

McGonagall glanced towards him before she spoke. "No. Because it would be disadvantageous to Hogwarts if I did. It's clear that we need more professors like Severus, ones who will stand up for those who need it the most. Who doesn't give a damn about the Houses like we have, sir." She then drew in a calculated breath. "Which is why I'm here, I suppose." She gave Severus a thin smile. "If you are agreeable to it, Severus, then I would like your input on how to . . . lessen the prejudices that have long since festered here with little to no intervention from us."

Severus's eyes narrowed. "You want me to . . ."

"Help me alter Hogwarts' current polices that clearly aren't working, yes," McGonagall replied.

He glanced between both of them, feeling even more confused than before. What did they think he could do exactly? Altering the policies would be one thing, but they needed to change the students' current mindsets. Change the old equation of Slytherin equals always evil into Slytherin equals ambitious dreams or something. How would he change their minds, though?

Naturally, talking about the consequences of furthering stereotypes were a must. But students would likely just ignore it if it came from him. So, they would need a unified front from all of the current Heads of Houses. If the students saw a Slytherin getting along nicely with a Gryffindor, it would challenge the status quo perhaps and force them to rethink their thoughts. But that would bump up against long-voiced familial prejudices maybe and cause more feelings of resentment among the Houses.

"I'll have to think on it," Severus finally said a few minutes later. There was no easy answer.

They both nodded to him.

"Go ahead. Talk it over with your father, in fact. I'm certain he would have some enlightening ideas," Dumbledore replied with a wide grin.

Yeah, Tobias likely did have some interesting ideas on it.

"If you'll excuse me?" When he caught Dumbledore's nod of dismissal, he headed for the fireplace, Flooing back to his own rooms.

The moment he saw Tobias and Harrison's faces pressed against the large window, though, as he stepped out of the fireplace, he shook his head. Of all the things to come into, that had to be what he saw first. He rubbed his temple and sighed. His talk with his father could wait. Fish clearly were more important, it seemed.


	19. Last Wave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the reviews and comments you've left me. This chapter is shorter than the previous ones. Enjoy. :D

Using his forearm, Severus wiped the condensation from the fogged-over mirror in front of him, closing his eyes once he uncovered his reflection. Outside, he could hear the Christmas carolers move from house to house spreading their merry cheer throughout the quiet, sleepy neighborhood. His body shook silently as his mind faltered for a moment and allowed the darkness within to gain a temporary hold inside him. He recalled painfully how it had been a few days after Christmas when the Lestrange brothers had broken into his home and killed his wife and unborn child in front of him.

Stifling his sobs, he drew in shaky breaths, his palms pressed hard into the sink almost painfully. He couldn't keep thinking about that. Not if he were to succeed. He had to push through all of the pain he was feeling currently and focus on his objective like the skilled agent he had been once before. That said, he was finding it easier said than done currently.

It had been easier protecting Harry the first time from Voldemort. This time, it was utterly insane, thanks to the Horcruxes. Though, he supposed that was why Albus had sent Harry to destroy them and not Severus in the first place. Harry had the naïve innocence that Severus did not.

"Enough!" Severus snarled suddenly. His hands then slammed down hard onto the sink's edge, a loud crack echoing around him as a piece broke off and shattered onto the floor. He drew in a sharp breath, raising his head up and glancing into the mirror. He was Severus Snape for Merlin's sake! Yet there he was, sniveling like some brat in someone's bathroom.

He grimaced and shook his head in disgust with himself. How was he ever to succeed if he wasn't able to push aside his emotions and focus on his task? Where now was the man who fooled the Dark Lord, making him believe that Severus was _his_ man? Where was that man?

At hearing a little voice in the back of his mind reply that he had gotten soft over the years, Severus gave a tired laugh. He _had_ gotten soft, clearly. The Severus of old wouldn't have been reduced to tears at the sight of his own reflection. That Severus, he knew, would never have looked in the mirror in the first place. But that Severus had died in the Shrieking Shack, allowing him to rise from the ashes and start anew.

And start anew he did, moving on fully after reading Lily's letter while at St. Mungo's. He hadn't meant to fall for the beautiful woman whom later became his wife. He hadn't intended to fall in love ever again, actually. But it had hit him like a Blasting Curse straight to his chest when it happened.

She had remained at his bedside in St. Mungo's throughout his entire stay, ever patient with him as always (even when he lost his temper and snapped at her harshly). And hearing the others talk privately with him about how determined she had been in keeping him alive after everything that had happened, he couldn't ignore the truth any longer. There in front of him was a woman, loyal to a fault to him alone; kinder and more accepting of him than Lily ever had been; and more forgiving than Lily as well. A woman whom had always defended him fiercely to the others, and whom wasn't afraid to stand beside him when even he himself wouldn't if given the choice.

She had become his light in the darkness.

He rubbed the underside of his wedding ring lovingly, knowing it was one of the few items left that connected him with her. He could feel the faint warmth fill him inside and inhaled deeply. This next Horcrux would be the hardest one yet.

Of all the places in the world, Bellatrix had to put the damned cup into her vault in Gringotts. He had spent this past month pondering possible ways of breaking in. However, every scenario ended with one outcome.

"Though, I knew that when I came here, didn't I, love?" he murmured quietly, his eyes once again on his wedding ring.

He knew what needed to be done now. That didn't make it any easier, though. In fact, knowing made it more difficult. Everything had built up to this moment, and if he didn't succeed . . . He didn't even want to consider that. It made him sick just thinking it. But it was the only way.

He wondered for a moment if this was what Harry had thought in the end. He supposed it had, but Harry had others to lean on whereas Severus had none currently. No one would know the sacrifices he made for them. Not unless he told them, but that held various drawbacks to consider. The major one was the ramifications it could have on his past self.

Another tired laugh made it past his lips. Mumbo jumbo, the whole lot of it. Actually, headache-inducing torture was a better description for it, he decided after a moment of thinking. All of it was based on abstract theories someone from long ago had dreamt up one day, likely after a long night of drinking. And yet there he was proving the theories correct. One could influence the past in a way for a better future without unraveling the entire universe.

Longbottom would grow up with his parents this time, not having to visit them in St. Mungo's during the holidays with his grandmother instead. Albus would consider the consequences of his actions first before he sent others in to die for his mistake. Narcissa would know of the darkness Lucius had brought into their home before it ever threatened to tear their family apart. Tobias would be cleared decades earlier of his supposed crimes than he had previously been. And Harry, he would flourish in a loving home this time with people who appreciated and loved him. There were countless others whose lives had changed for the better now.

There were loses as well, though. Chloe had been one that came to mind instantly. She had not been killed in his timeline. Or if she had, he hadn't read about it at least. Kreacher had been another. He honestly hadn't intended for the house elf to die when he entered Grimmauld. The old house elf had served a greater role in his timeline, he knew, helping Harry succeed. But Severus had given into the darkness of the Horcrux's influence, and the elf paid the price for that. To lessen the guilt, Severus frequently reminded himself of how Kreacher likely was finally at peace now, having been released of Regulus's final request that the poor house elf couldn't complete.

Severus sighed quietly. As long as he believed that, the guilt wouldn't overtake him.

Before walking out of the bathroom a moment later, he flicked his wand towards the sink and repaired it before he headed towards the front door. It was time to move again. He had already stayed here too long as it was. The homeowners would be back soon based on the calendar hanging on the wall. He stopped for half a moment and stared at the Christmas tree. Whoever owned this house, he wished them all the warmest wishes. He then opened the front door and slipped unnoticed outside into the brisk cold late December afternoon.

* * *

Sitting alone at a table inside the Leaky Cauldron, Severus shook his head when he caught the nasty look directed at him from one of the bar maids before she continued on. No doubt, she thought he should be drinking something other than water as well, like Tom had suggested none too kindly earlier. His eyes then moved back to the goblin in the corner who was nursing a drink in hand. Deciding nothing had changed on that front, Severus turned his attention back to his wife's journal.

His fingers tenderly brushed over her elegant handwriting once more before he leafed through to find a page she hadn't written on. As soon as he found it, he closed his eyes and ripped the empty page out, his stomach fluttering instantly in response to his actions. It was necessary, though, he reminded himself. He had loose ends to tie up before he could move on to the final phase.

He debated on who should be the first recipient. Though, after a moment, he realized how foolish that was. It would have to be Dumbledore. Everything had started with him in the first place. So with that in mind, Severus dipped a quill into the ink and quickly scribbled out his note to the older wizard.

" _Once the chaos erupts in London, you'll get your chance at redemption in the forests of Albania with a possessed animal. End it as you should have done before."_

He looked over his message once more before he cast a quick spell on it so only Dumbledore could read it. He then tore the section with his message from the parchment, folded it in half, and set it aside. Dumbledore would find a way to figure out which animal the Dark Lord was currently possessing at the time. That was guaranteed now that Dumbledore had the missing piece.

Sighing, Severus rubbed the back of his neck. He would succeed, and Harry would be safe finally. Hell, even the twenty-one-year-old Severus would be spared from the darkness this time. He would not witness his coworker's brutal murder at Malfoy Manor. He would not be subjected to witnessing unspeakable crimes committed against Muggles, Muggleborns, and Blood Traitors. But above all else, his soul would not be as shredded by his dark acts as it had been before. He had a chance to live in the light for once, to feel the warmth of goodness flow freely inside him.

"You think it's true?" a voice suddenly asked from a nearby table, pulling Severus out of his thoughts. "What they're saying in the _Prophet_?"

"About Celestina?" someone replied, clearly confused.

"No, you idiot. About Black," the first voice huffed.

"Oh. Well, uh, what are they saying exactly?"

There was a loud sigh of annoyance before the person answered. "Short version is that they're thinking about Kissing Black for his killing those twelve Muggles. Seems the Minister isn't exactly keen on wasting money on him. What with having to house all those other dark bastards in Azkaban now."

Severus's eyes narrowed instantly. That didn't match up with his timeline anymore. He then frowned, shaking his head. It was likely a consequence of Dumbledore's resigning from Hogwarts and Minerva's ascending into the headmistress position in his stead.

As the two people at the nearby table continued their conversation quietly, Severus felt his mood darken. With the world at large believing Harry Potter had died with his parents at Godric's Hollow, there was no reason why Sirius had to be out of the picture for so long and rot in Azkaban for a crime he had not committed in the first place. Not unless one counted the fact that Black was a git who deserved it for tormenting Severus in their youth. But age, unfortunately, had given Severus the experience to recognize that reason made him seem rather petty for continuing to carry a grudge for something that occurred in their childhood. Allowing his head to fall forward, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Perhaps if he did this one thing, karma would help him later on in Gringotts. Not to mention, his message also made it possible for the real betrayer of the Potters to be thrown in Azkaban like the dirty rat he was.

He dipped the quill back into the ink before he wrote out his next message.

" _Pettigrew lives. Find him at the Burrow in Animagus form as a rat. Remus Lupin can confirm Pettigrew's form for further proof."_

He stared long at his words, his emotions swirling inside. It was the right thing to do. Black was innocent, at least in terms of his supposed killing Pettigrew. He had learned that long ago. But a small part reminded him of how Black had tormented him for years, had nearly led to Severus's death once as well. Black didn't deserve to be saved that little voice in the back of Severus's mind reminded him.

But Severus had grown past that vindictiveness, though. He had moved on and let go of his painful past finally. First with letting go of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Roger away from his mother's eyes, then the Dark Lord, and finally with the Mauraders. Letting go hadn't been a walk in the park by any means. It had taken months of therapy, months of baring his soul to another, before he could. But looking back on it now, he decided it was worth it in the end.

Sighing, he glanced at the remaining empty page. Whom would he write to next? He contemplated writing to his wife's past self for half a moment and thanking her for not giving up on him all those years, but he knew what would happen if he did. He wouldn't stop at writing letters. He would likely try to see her then, to hold her one last time. And soon even that wouldn't be enough for him. No, he would let her remain on her path without him interfering. It was better that way.

So, then who else remained? He thought about Harry, but decided against that right away. The boy didn't need anyone interfering in his life past his being given to Severus's past self.

Minerva seemed a viable answer, but from what he was reading in the _Prophet_ with the latest changes she was implementing at Hogwarts, it wasn't necessary. So, he crossed her off as well.

He moved on to his father. Was there anything he needed to tell the man before he broke into Gringotts? Severus then gave a quiet laugh. No. He had made his peace with his father after Nagini's attack. Whatever else there was left was between his past self and his father. It was in their hands now.

His eyes moved back to his last message that concerned Pettigrew. He could always add onto it and give the Auror the vital information he'd need to find Severus's mother as well. Only that wasn't entirely needed anymore. The Aurors had all the pieces judging by the articles in the _Prophet_. They just had to match them up now and complete the puzzle. So, all that remained was the final message.

He debated with himself if he should even write it. There were so many possible ramifications that could come about with it. Glancing over at the wobbly goblin, though, he realized that it had to be said, though. He needed someone to know the truth, all of it, before he undid everything.

Dipping his quill back into the ink pot, he twirled it gently before he began.

" _Since it will no longer matter soon after I succeed, let me tell you my story, Severus…"_


	20. Christmas Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A rather long chapter full of information, which is beginning to become a habit for me, isn't it? :) By my estimate I've left two remaining questions for you, which will be answered in the last two chapters. At least that's the plan. We'll see if the bunnies cooperate. Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoy.

As he waited on the spiral staircase leading to the headmistress's office, Severus kept his eyes downcast, a look of sadness crossing his face. He knew McGonagall wouldn't have requested his presence this morning if it wasn't important, especially not when it was Christmas morning of all days. She knew how much he was looking forward to his first Christmas with Harrison and Tobias.

Sighing, Severus ran a hand down the length of his face, allowing his earlier disappointment to vanish. Feeling sorry for himself wouldn't change anything. When the staircase stopped moving finally and he found himself in front of the cracked open polished oak door, he raised his hand up to knock on it. However, right after making a fist, he heard someone inside speaking.

"Don't misunderstand me, please," a male voice pleaded from inside the office. "I respect you greatly. But, Headmistress, we cannot ignore the truth either. He _was_ a Death Eater. Probably still is."

The young man instantly tensed behind the door. There was no doubt in Severus's mind that his fellow male coworker was speaking about him. Severus's hand fell silently to his side.

"Yes, 'was' being the keyword there, Professor Bainbridge," McGonagall replied with a bit of an edge to her voice to the man currently in her office. "He no longer shares those views, however."

"So he says," Bainbridge drawled. "But let us not forget that he's a Slytherin, eh?"

The legs of a chair inside the room instantly scrapped harshly against the stone floor as McGonagall likely flew to her feet.

"Now, don't go flying mad there, Min," Bainbridge said calmly with a clear smile heard in his voice. "You know I'm right. He's a Slytherin, and you know what _they're_ like."

A loud thump then filtered through the oak door.

"No, I don't know you're right," McGonagall snapped. "Furthermore, I would appreciate it if you showed me the proper respect I am giving you, _Professor_."

"Oh, come now. You know I respect you." Bainbridge's laughs were muffled. "I'm merely offering you advice. That's all. After all, you've just recently become headmistress. You can't know it all quite yet, so . . ."

"Well, kindly take your _advice_ and get out before I throw you out the nearest window!" McGonagall yelled, sounding angrier than Severus had ever heard her be before.

"You'd throw me out," Bainbridge squawked, clearly outraged, "me the Astronomy professor here for thirty-plus years, a fellow Gryffindor in fact, but not the known Death Eater who has likely been brainwashing our poor students' minds all year like the nasty Slytherin he is? Min, come now. Let's be reasonable, shall we?"

"Leave. Now."

It then went deathly quiet inside the office. Severus looked towards the oak door and frowned. He leaned his ear further towards the door to hear better, but only heard more silence. Had Bainbridge Flooed back to his office and he had missed it? He didn't think so. So, then had McGonagall made good on her earlier warning and had Bainbridge removed from her office?

Several minutes had passed before Bainbridge responded. "I cannot believe it's come to this, but . . ." his voice faltered slightly, "but I'm afraid, Headmistress, that either he leaves or I do."

"You can't be serious," McGonagall replied a moment later, a huff filtering through the door.

Severus's head hung instantly. She'd choose Bainbridge to stay. It was the logical choice. Over the past thirty-some years, the veteran professor had become a pillar of Hogwarts and a positive influence. Severus on the other hand was new and known to have affiliated with dark elements. And like Bainbridge stated, Severus was a Slytherin. So, why on earth would she choose a Slytherin over someone from her own house? It wouldn't make a bit of sense if she did.

"I am. Either he leaves Hogwarts, which we both know would be the right thing and for the good of our students, or I do." His voice lowered. "I don't have to tell you what would happen if I left, do I?"

Closing his eyes, Severus turned away from the door. He couldn't remain there any longer. He had been so certain that things had changed for the better for him finally. He knew the mistakes of his past would always follow him. He wasn't that deluded to think otherwise, but this was different. He had spent so many hours working beside McGonagall on their house unity plan. He had thought the time together had shown her that he truly did want to be a better man, to make up for his mistakes. He should've known better.

"Then, I guess I'll be looking for a new Astronomy professor," McGonagall called out suddenly, causing Severus to stop in mid-step. "Preferably one who doesn't resort to threats and accusations."

"You're choosing him?" Bainbridge squawked. "The Death Eater?!"

"No. I'm choosing the young man who made a mistake in his youth and is trying desperately to atone for it now. So, yet again, you're wrong. Now, kindly get the hell out of my castle before I hex you out that window, Bainbridge!"

Severus stared at the door with his mouth slightly open. She had chosen him? No one chose him.

Silence followed before Bainbridge replied quietly, "I see. Well, in that case, you'll have my resignation within the hour."

"Wonderful. There's the Floo. Now, get out!"

The resulting whoosh of the flames from the Floo a few moments later let Severus know precisely when Bainbridge had left. He waited outside of the door for a couple more moments, forcing himself to regain control of his emotions, before he knocked gently against the door.

"Enter!" McGonagall called out, her voice betraying nothing of her previous argument.

Slowly opening the door further, Severus entered soon after, striding silently across the room towards her desk where she stood. She gave him a faint smile as he approached.

"I see you received my message all right then."

Severus nodded quietly, clasping his hands loosely behind his back as soon as he reached her. He felt uncomfortable under her watchful gaze, but did his best not to show this.

"I did, Headmistress," he said a moment later, realizing that he needed to show her the proper respect. "I apologize for my delay, however." He paused when she quickly held a hand up.

"No apologies are necessary." She then shook her head, sighing softly. "I take it you heard all that, though?" She didn't wait for his reply. "What am I saying? Of course you did. You've not been late to a meeting yet." She then sighed again. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that."

He considered replying to her, telling her that he hadn't heard a thing, but decided against it soon after. Some things were better left unsaid. "Have you looked over my suggestions, then, about the Heads of Houses leading an assembly? Is that why I'm here, Headmistress?"

She stared at him for a moment before she shook her head. "No. I asked you here because I spoke with a contact of mine at the Ministry."

Severus's eyes narrowed briefly. "I see."

"He's on his way here now to confirm it officially to you, but they found something in a raid the other day that concerned your mother's current whereabouts."

Severus's heart skipped a beat. "They found her?" His hands fell to his sides as he took a step closer toward her. "Your contact is certain of this?" If they found his mother, then . . .

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "He wouldn't confirm it to me, but just that he had news for you and that I should bring you here."

After the mental cold shower snapped him out of it, Severus gave a quick nod of understanding before he glanced at the Floo. He couldn't stop himself from asking, "Should I bring my father up here as well?" He knew Tobias was just as desperate as he was for any information on Eileen.

"Just you for now, Severus. There's no need to bring your father into it quite yet, I believe. After all, if it's only a note, well, it might lead to false hope. And I would imagine after learning everything that he has lately, the false hope would be detrimental at this point."

He nodded. She was probably right. Just because this person found something, it didn't mean they had found Eileen necessarily. He would relay whatever this information was to his father later on.

At the sound of a knock at her door a few moments later, Severus whirled around. His heart returned to its bouncing about the room like a bouncy ball instantly. He noticed McGonagall move to stand beside him soon after calling out for the person to enter. He watched as two men entered the room quietly not long after. The first man was quite older than the second, Severus noticed, and seemed to have known McGonagall quite well.

"Good morning," the older man stated politely. He then held his hand out to Severus. "I'm Elphinstone Urquart, a senior official for the Magical Law Enforcement." He motioned to his companion. "And this is Auror Collins."

Severus shook his hand and then Collins's. "Pleased to meet you." He then noticed McGonagall quietly excuse herself from the room. A part of him considered calling her back since it was her office they were using, but he said nothing.

"I'm not sure how much she told you, but let me start from the beginning so we're all on the same page." Urquart then cleared his throat. "While we were interrogating one of You-Know-Who's followers, the prisoner let slip that there was a safe house You-Know-Who would sometimes use to hold certain high-valued targets in order to gain intel from them as they were being tortured. The prisoner gave us the safe house's location, and we raided it early yesterday afternoon. Collins here and others made a sweep through the building."

Severus glanced at the Auror and nodded slowly as he continued to follow along. He hoped the old man got to the point soon.

"In addition to capturing Rodolphus Lestrange, we rescued several imprisoned Muggles and Muggleborns that were locked up in the basement. Now, I realize none of that interests you, but this should. One of the Muggles we rescued was a man named Roger Stephenson."

Everything suddenly made absolute sense to him, then.

"You found him?" Severus croaked, as his voice broke.

"We did, son." Urquart gave him slight nod. "Now, your mum wasn't there with him, though. But let me assure you that we've since gained a great many leads from him." He then chuckled nervously. "In fact, I'll be the first to admit that we at the Ministry screwed up royally when it came to your father's case." Severus's eyes narrowed. "Stephenson confessed to setting your father up within the first two minutes of interrogation," Urquart explained.

Roger confessed? Severus stared at the other man, unable to speak entirely now. Roger had confessed? Did that mean . . .?

"We're on the right track now, and I've got some of my best men out there currently searching various locations that Mister Stephenson has stated he had her at. We're going to find her, Severus."

"My father—"

"Is a free man," Urquart answered. "We've expunged his record with the Ministry, along with providing him financial compensation for our gross mistake." He then motioned towards Collins, who stepped forward a moment later and offered a folder. "Inside you'll find the account number we've set up for him at Gringotts and the official letter that details his record being expunged."

Severus's eyes fell onto the folder he was holding. He stared at it for a few moments before he glanced back at Urquart. This didn't seem real. Was he still asleep?

"Did he say how he did it? Or why?"

The other man nodded slowly. "It's all detailed in the letter, but yes he did. I'll let Collins fill you in on that."

The Auror stood up taller instantly, pure business-like now. "The subject stated one day he was approached by a dark-haired man claiming to be an associate of your maternal grandparents. This man informed the subject he would be compensated quite nicely if he caused your parents' marriage to fail. Together, the associate and subject schemed and plotted out how they would frame your father for murder. The associate handed the subject a very lethal potion and gave the subject instructions on when to throw the potion and set off the cataclysmic explosion that occurred at the pub in Cokeworth."

"Wait . . . are you saying this associate knew my father was a wizard?"

"No." Collins shook his head. "The plan had been to involve only the Muggle authorities, who were to think it was a regular bombing. However, the moment of the explosion, the Ministry received an alert of a quite phenomenal case of accidental magic in the pub and was sent to investigate it immediately as per Ministry protocols."

"Which is when you drew your wands on my father . . ." Severus did his best to keep his voice from sounding accusatory, but some of it still slipped in.

"Yes. However, it is clear now that we misinterpreted our initial findings. Aurors Shacklebolt and Rigotti have since discovered the accidental magic that set off the initial alert wasn't the bombing itself. It was your father instinctively protecting himself from it. It happens from time to time with untrained wizards, usually younger ones of course as we typically intervene before the age of seventeen, but your paternal grandfather refused our services numerous times."

"How did you learn this?" It couldn't have all been from Roger. There had to be more.

"After you brought your father here to Hogwarts, he had a complete work-up done as you remember in order to comply with Ministry regulations. His bloodwork was examined quite closely at Hogwarts and at St. Mungo's. Madam Pomfrey and the healer at St. Mungo's concurred that your father should have received massive injuries after such a violent blast, and as such should have had evidence of these injuries still on his body in the form of scars. Yet only a scar, an inch across, was found on his chest that matched up to occurring around the time of the pub bombing." Collins drew in a breath. "Experience has taught us that when such discoveries are made, it is usually a result of protective magic, which is much stronger and much harder to detect sometimes."

Severus nodded slowly. "Did you learn what happened afterwards?" He knew from his brief conversations with his mother over the years that his maternal grandparents hated Muggles with a passion, finding them to be inferior and almost pest-like.

"We have through other interrogations and various searches of your grandparents' manor." Collins glanced at Urquart, who dipped his head and urged him to continue. "We found various writings by your grandparents that claimed a descendent of Gaunt had approached them shortly after your mother had given birth to you. This man had promised to return the glory once again to the Prince name by marrying your mother. Your maternal grandparents agreed and had sent an associate to deal with your father, which is where the subject entered the picture."

A descendent of Gaunt? Severus frowned. The name seemed oddly familiar to him.

"Once the Ministry had arrested your father, your grandparents used their last connections they had at the Ministry to ensure that your father would not be deemed innocent. According to those who were privy to the details, your grandmother forged your mother's signature on the divorce papers and was also the one who came up with the conditions your father agreed to ultimately. However, your mother did not react as your grandparents assumed she would. She remained in Cokeworth and raised you alone, ignoring every single letter your grandparents sent. When it became clear she wasn't going to return, the descendent of Gaunt rescinded his earlier offer and never returned. Your grandparents in turn cut all ties with her again, assuming your mother would die miserably."

"So, they gave up, but Roger didn't. He instead made sure to use my father's disappearance to get closer to her."

"Yes. According to the subject, he had fallen in love with her. Whether that was a delusion, though, we do not know."

"After I left home, did he give you . . . did he say what happened then?"

"Your mother was distraught naturally." Collins then pinched his mouth shut tightly, his eyes darting to Urquart. He then continued a moment later. "It became harder to control your mother. So he used other means to keep her his, I'm afraid. Until the Death Eaters came one day and grabbed them. They were later separated, likely because she's a witch and he's a Muggle, and he's not seen her since."

"Death Eaters?" Severus glanced between the two, his eyes narrowing in confusion. Why on earth would Death Eaters want his mother? She hadn't been stupid and voiced her opinions on Muggles to the world at large like some others did. She kept a low profile, shedding her Prince name entirely.

"According to a subject we've recently interviewed, she was grabbed to maintain your hatred of Muggles," Urquart answered quietly. "With your knowledge that she was last seen with Roger, it was hoped that you would believe he had kidnapped her for malevolent purposes and kill Muggles easier."

"But I never killed . . ." He then inhaled sharply, his eyes hardening as his stomach lurched at his horrifying realization. "Who gave the order?" He waited for one of them to answer, but neither did right away. "Who gave the order?" he repeated quietly.

"You-Know-Who," Urquart answered a moment later.

The Dark Lord? Severus then felt the corner of McGonagall's desk dig into his leg as he stepped back in horror. The Dark Lord had orchestrated his mother's . . . He closed his eyes, exhaling and emptying his mind completely. He needed to purge his turbulent emotions from himself in order to think objectively. It took a few moments before he felt his breaths come easier.

The Dark Lord. Yes, it made sense in a twisted way, he supposed. The Dark Lord required the utmost loyalty from his followers. If he ordered a follower to kill, the follower killed. Yet Severus could not do this. He could maim and torture certainly, but he couldn't kill his victim.

In fact, the Dark Lord was the only one who knew the truth about the young witch whom he had received after joining the Death Eaters as a gift from the Dark Lord. He had been expected to kill her before he returned to Hogwarts, but he couldn't do it. So, instead, he let her escape and returned to the Dark Lord with lies of his 'kill.' The Dark Lord, though, knew the truth and had punished him for the disobedience. That was until Severus had revealed under extreme duress and pain that he desperately wished would end that he had believed death would have been too kind for her, causing the Dark Lord to think for a moment before agreeing with him.

Like his old Potions Master Slughorn and Dumbledore, the Dark Lord, too, collected people. The moment Severus had shared his hatred of Muggles with the Dark Lord was when he found himself being taken under the dark wizard's wing, much to the dismay of the others. In fact, he seemed to recall the Dark Lord admitting once in private that he and Severus were quite a bit alike. So, the Dark Lord had likely thought that by taking Eileen, Severus would be able to kill easier. He was helping. Severus's stomach rolled once more at that particular thought.

"We're currently interrogating Rodolphus again," Urquart stated suddenly, regaining Severus's attention, "hoping it will give us another lead. With luck, we should have more news for you soon. However, we felt it was necessary to update you where we currently stand and, well, give you that, son."

"Thank you," Severus replied, his throat dry.

"Don't mention it." Urquart then glanced towards Collins. "We should head back." Collins nodded in return before he turned back to Severus. "If we learn anything more, we'll let you know." He then turned and headed for the door, leaving with Collins.

Severus stared numbly at the door after they had both left. It seemed so dreamlike. Was this real? Had they really come to tell him that Roger had confessed to framing Tobias all those years ago, that Tobias was a free man now?

"Are you all right, Severus?" McGonagall asked quietly, appearing at the top of the stairs leading down into her office.

He glanced up at her. "I-I don't know."

She gave him a pleasant smile. "Well, in that case, might I recommend you return to your rooms and enjoy the day with your father and son?" She glanced up at a clock in the room. "I'd wager little Harrison is awake now and waiting impatiently for his father to return."

"Possibly," Severus replied dazedly.

"Then, go. Be with your family, Severus." She laughed softly when he continued to stare up at her. "Preferably before your father decides to show off his new magical skills to his grandson and sets the drapes on fire again."

The almost twenty-two-year-old's mouth curled upwards ever so slightly before he inclined his head respectfully. "Of course, Headmistress. Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas to you as well. Now, go."

With the folder still in hand, Severus walked over to her fireplace and Flooed back to his rooms. As he walked out of the flames into his quarters a moment later, he caught his father with a wand in hand and little Harrison sitting up on the sofa watching as he held his breath.

"An, An," cried the little boy, his hands clapping wildly.

Realizing that neither Harrison nor Tobias had seen him enter, Severus crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, looking on in mild interest. The _Lumos_ charm had lost its interest for the little boy a few days earlier, so Tobias clearly had moved onto another spell, it seemed. Though, it wasn't as if Tobias knew that many spells yet. He had only learned so far _Lumos, Nox,_ and _Wingardium Leviosa_. And the progress Severus had seen so far with those spells from his father barely reached Dreadful-level castings. Quite frankly, it was obvious to anyone who was observing that Tobias held his magic back during their lessons, fear of hurting Severus still prevalent inside him.

" _Wingardium Leviosa,_ " Tobias said with his practice wand pointed at a bookcase far from Harrison. There was a slight shake before several of the books fell off their shelves onto the floor. "Well, shit, that didn't work," the older man muttered.

"On the contrary," Severus announced, catching his father's surprised look as the man whirled around to look at him, "you managed to get at least a few shakes from some of the shelves."

"Yeah, but I still didn't lift it up, though."

"To which I'm eternally grateful for, actually, Dad," Severus replied dryly, handing off the folder to his father.

His father frowned before he rolled his eyes. "Ya know, if ya weren't so anal like yer mum . . "

"It's not—never mind." He was going to lose that argument somehow. He just knew it. His father would somehow turn that conversation, and he wouldn't be able to recover from it. Striding across the room silently towards Harrison, he picked the little boy up a moment later, chuckling when he felt Harrison's arms wrap around him to hug him warmly. So much love was in this little boy. How could anyone not love him? "Happy Christmas, brat."

Harrison giggled instantly, burying his face into Severus's neck.

"Well, I see someone was a good boy." Severus then glanced from the obnoxiously large piles of presents under the Christmas tree. "Hopefully, it didn't leave Father Christmas broke," he said pointedly looking at his father.

Tobias, however, held up his hands. "Hey, that ain't all from me. Promise."

Severus snorted, though. Sure they weren't. He slowly lowered Harrison down onto the floor in front of the twinkling tree a few moments later.

"Go on. Have at it," he said with a motion towards the gifts. Harrison only stared up at him, though, before he sat down on one of the larger gifts. Severus raised a brow at him before snorting. Hadn't James and Lily celebrated Christmas with the boy before? Granted, Harrison would have been five months old at the time, but still. "All right, brat. Have it your way." Severus carefully lowered himself down onto the cool floor beside Harrison and plucked a small present from one of the piles. He glanced at the attached name tag, discovering it was for himself from his father. He held it out slightly so Harrison could see before he tore the wrapping paper off. The moment he saw the small wooden owl figurine, he glanced towards his father.

"Few years late, but . . ." Tobias shrugged, finally looking towards the folder in his hands and opening it. "What's this?"

"A gift from the Ministry," Severus replied, grabbing another gift (this time one that had Harrison's name on it). He handed it to the young boy, who hesitated for a brief moment before he gingerly opened his present.

Seeing Harrison's face scrunched up in obvious confusion once he had unwrapped the present, Severus leaned forward towards him. "Now you can swish like me." Gently, Severus undid the clasp at the very top and draped the black cloak around the seventeen-month-old's shoulders.

"Uh, son?" Tobias hesitated.

Without turning around to look at his father, Severus smiled faintly, assuming his father had read the contents of the folder. "It's all true, Dad. Roger admitted to framing you. You're a free man."

"No. It ain't that. It's the cloak. That ain't the smartest thing to give a kid his age."

Frowning now, Severus turned around. "Why not?"

Tobias then jerked his head at Harrison, who had stood up and was trying out his new cloak. The moment the little boy tripped on the back of it and tumbled forward, Severus understood. He groaned inwardly at his stupidity and reached for the sniffling little boy who was holding a hand over his knee.

"Come here, brat. Let me see it." He gave Harrison a sympathetic smile and waited for the little boy to roll up his pant leg. When Harrison finally complied, Severus winced slightly before he drew his wand. He murmured a soft healing spell as he waved his wand over Harrison's skinned knee. "There you go. All better."

Harrison glanced suspiciously down at his now healed knee before he looked back at Severus and shook his head, his bottom lip sticking out.

Severus's frown deepened. Harrison shouldn't have been in any pain anymore. "It still hurts?" Harrison nodded slightly, his eyes lowering.

"Iss, Dada."

"Iss?" Severus repeated, glancing at his father when he heard the man chuckle.

"Kiss it," Tobias translated a moment later. "It is after all the best way to heal these sorts of things. Trust me."

Raising an eyebrow, Severus looked back at Harrison. He then sighed in defeat before he kissed his fingers and pressed it against Harrison's hurt knee. The young boy's eyes instantly bugged out, and his mouth dropped.

"No! No! No!" Harrison screamed, banging his little fists against the floor. He then lifted his leg up and kissed his own knee before he looked pointedly at Severus.

"How was I supposed to know that's how you do that?"

"Hey, I used to do it for ya, son," Tobias argued.

"Yes, when I was one."

"Still did it," his dad replied, plucking another present from the pile and handing it to Harrison. "Here ya go, lad. This one's from yer Daddy's boss lady."

McGonagall had sent Harrison something? He waited patiently as Harrison opened it, quicker this time than last. He rolled his eyes. Of course she'd sent the little boy a stuffed panther. When Harrison pressed a kiss against its forehead, it instantly came alive, stretching out before making a quiet purr. The little boy squealed in surprise and then clapped his hands together excitedly.

"Huh. And here ya were more interested in the box when ya were little, son," Tobias mumbled, scratching his head.

"All children are different." Or so he was told. He then caught Harrison rolling around on the wrapping paper giggling loudly to himself. "Or not." Clearly the wrapping paper had finally won in the battle for the little boy's attention.

"Well, while he's busy with that," Tobias said with a chuckle, "these came for ya." He held out two envelopes.

Frowning slightly, Severus looked down at the seemingly insignificant envelopes. Who would be sending him anything? He inspected each one, focusing entirely on the handwriting. Both were addressed to him, obviously, but had nothing else on them. And the seals on the backs of the envelopes didn't give any clues either.

After a moment, he slid his finger into the small space under the flap and broke the seal on the first envelope, pulling out the standard Christmas card of a reindeer on its front. He opened it soon after, wanting to solve the mystery of who had sent it. He sighed inwardly when he caught the signature at the bottom. He should've known it'd be her.

"Well, come on. Who's it from then?" Tobias asked with a wide grin.

Setting the card aside, Severus replied flatly, "A former classmate of mine. The usual customary Christmas card I get every year." He then moved to open the second envelope.

"Of the female kind?" his father wheedled.

"Yes, but it's not like that. At all." Severus then glanced at his father, noticing the look of excitement on Tobias's face. "Don't even try it, old man," he warned. "I'm quite happy with my life right now. I don't need a woman."

"She sent you a card, though. Like she's done every year for you."

"Yes, a _Christmas_ card. That hardly warrants you envisioning my marrying her, though."

"She still takes the time to send them, Severus."

Sighing loudly, the young man glanced up at the ceiling. His father didn't understand. "Dad, really, I don't need nor want to engage in a relationship with her, or any woman, currently. I'm fine. Truly."

"But what if she's the one?"

Severus felt an instant punch to his stomach in response to his father's question. The one? For so long he had been absolutely convinced Lily had been his soulmate, the one. Yet he knew now that wasn't true. Yes, he loved Lily still, but not the way he had previously and definitely not as deeply as before. She had lost her power over him after he had read her angry letter. He couldn't deny that knowing what he knew now, that there was another, was still unsettling to hear. He didn't want that part of his life to begin. To put his heart out there for another woman and risk feeling the terrible hurt of rejection again. It may have worked for his future self, but… too many things had changed now. So, that too could have changed. This perfect wife his future self had married may have been killed now, or worse, had decided he (the twenty-one year-old Severus) was too much work now that he had a young child to care for as well. No, no it was better this way. It had to be.

"I get it, son. I do," Tobias said quietly. "Ya've had so many things thrown at ya lately that yer head has to be spinnin'. All I'm saying here, though, is don't let yer life pass ya by. Let people like this lass, who takes the time to send ya a card every year, slip away. That's all."

"What does it matter, though? It's just a stupid card."

His father snorted, crossing his arms. "What does it matter?" Tobias repeated. "It matters, son, 'cause I used to leave yer mum a folded up swan every time she was working at the diner, and trust me I wasn't even on her radar yet. But I still left it. Just so she'd notice me. I mean, hell, once I learned when her birthday was, I left her two swans with a little note that wished her a good birthday."

"Sometimes, Dad, a card is just a card."

"And sometimes it ain't, son."

"I don't want—never mind."

"No. What were ya gonna say?"

"It'll happen when it's time, okay. That's what I believe." Or rather that was what his future self had told him, but he wasn't about to tell his father that. "So, please, let's stop rushing it." He then looked over the second letter, recognizing his own handwriting right away.

_Since it will no longer matter soon after I succeed, let me tell you my story, Severus._

The young man blinked instantly. Tell him his story? Why? And why wouldn't it matter?

"Everythin' all right there?"

He could hear the worry in his father's voice. "Yes. Everything's fine, Dad." Or rather as fine as it could be after one received a letter from his future self.

"Ya know I mean well, don't you?"

"I know you do," Severus replied half-listening to his father. Why on earth had his future self sent this? Was something big about to happen? He supposed the only way to know for certain was to read on and finish the letter.

_Since it will no longer matter soon after I succeed, let me tell you my story, Severus. We share the same childhood experiences. Marauders. Roger. Death Eaters. To name a few. Our paths divert now, however, from Lily's death, thanks to me._

_For me, I never truly moved on from losing her until I was thirty-eight. That coward murdered them with their only son surviving and forced to live with his maternal aunt in a household where he would be treated worse than a house elf. I swore to Dumbledore I would protect the brat, watch over him in secret. And I did that. For seven long years. The moment I saw those eyes and that face, though, anger and bitterness took over inside me. I hated him for surviving when Lily did not. I loathed that she had given her life for him and not chosen me. And as such, I treated the boy unfairly._

_I told myself I had to, though, in order to protect him properly. But it was a lie. I did it because I could. Because I wanted him to feel the pain I felt whenever I looked at him. So, he suffered my unjust treatment of him for seven years, always believing I was trying to kill him instead of knowing the truth._

_It wasn't until he looked down on me with kindness as I lay dying in the Shrieking Shack that I saw him for the first time. He wasn't James, bent on making my life hell. Nor was he Lily. I had made his life hell, yet he still offered me kindness. He needed to know the truth, so I gave it to him freely. I showed him how Dumbledore had allowed him to live until it was time the boy would have to sacrifice himself for the rest of us. I showed him the missing pieces of his parents' story, and then nothing as the darkness took over. I thought I had failed in protecting him. But I hadn't. He succeeded ultimately, at great cost to himself unfortunately._

_The fates sent me back after his success. My story wasn't over, it had said. And it was right. The boy helped me move on, to see that I was worth something. He even, without him knowing it, helped me see my wife actually as something more than a mere coworker._

_Now, I know you are likely still wondering who she is. Driven mad perhaps even by my not revealing it yet. There is a reason, however, I have not done so. And that reason simply is that I wish you to fall in love with her as I have. Not love her because I loved her. As quite frankly, that would take the fun and surprise out of everything actually._

_But, as you well know, I am not always one to leave things to chance either, especially not with our luck. So, let me tell you a bit about my wife before the end arrives and I am gone from this world._

_She has always stood by my side, even when I did not know it. She has defended me fiercely over the years, choosing me over her family at times in fact. And she loves me with all her heart, which I assure you is quite extensive. She is not above letting me have it, though, when I am being a prat. However, she forgives me eventually, as she is a keen believer in redemption and second chances. But above all else, she accepts all of me, the good and the bad. She has never tried to change me, as she claims it would be a futile attempt since I am as stubborn as a jackass. She was the only one to congratulate me when I received the Defense against the Dark Arts position, informing the others that they were idiots for assuming I would then attempt to kill them all. She was the one who later found my father and brought him to my hospital bed, so that I would have the chance to speak with him and not regret it all my life. She also was the one who helped him receive a pardon from the Minister of Magic, as she has a history with the Minister._

_She is the light to our darkness. And she has always been with us. If you do not believe me, then consider the card she sent you this Christmas. The only one we both know you've received. Or the birthday well wishes we've always passed off as coming from some deluded young witch who had to have felt sorry for us or at the very least obligated to use us as her one good deed a day._

_I don't tell you this so you'll marry her tomorrow. Not at all. I want you to fall in love with her as I did. To experience the awkwardness of a first date. The sweetness of a kiss. The butterflies deep within the stomach. Everything we did not get with our first love. The wait I promise is worth it._

_But as I sit here now waiting for the end, self doubt is taking over. I've changed a great deal of things. You, your son, Tobias, Dumbledore, Minerva, our hated enemy Black, and the list goes on. I worry now that perhaps I've changed something that will take her away from you. That she will not return. So, that is why I've told you what I have. To, as the Muggles put it, place the ball in your court, so to speak. When you are ready, Severus._

The young man stared numbly at the letter after he had finished it. He had married _her_? His eyes darted to the abandoned Christmas card beside him. A part of him wanted to tell his father that he was right in order to delay the inevitable 'I told you so' from the old man. Only his future self was right. Things were changed dramatically now from what they had been in his future self's timeline. Perhaps she wouldn't return to England once she finished with university. His eyes narrowed when he felt a slight ache in his chest at that thought.

It wasn't as if he wanted to start a relationship with her right then. That wasn't why he felt that ache. It couldn't be. He had enough on his plate, as he had kindly informed his father earlier. But the knowledge someone was out there for him, who accepted all of him fully—it was positively startling.

"Dad?" Severus murmured a few moments later.

"Yeah?" Tobias grunted softly.

"Do you believe things are set in stone?" The question left his mouth before he had a chance to stop it. He caught his father's eyes narrow instantly and glanced away guiltily.

"Like fate and stuff?" Tobias gave a little puff of air when Severus shrugged. "Yeah, I do. At least certain things, like who you're supposed to be with. Course, yer mum said I was a hopeless romantic who bordered on madness. Though, she married me so… what's that say about her, huh?"

Severus smiled briefly. Yeah, he could see his mother saying that. She was one for being an eternal realist. His eyes fell back to the letter.

The wait would be worth it. Well, he would certainly have to see about that then.

Turning back to glance at Harrison and finding that the boy had managed to crawl inside one of the boxes, the twenty-one year-old burst out laughing and covered his face. What in the hell was it about stupid boxes that made kids go wild?

"Oh, come here, brat." He gently picked Harrison up, setting the little boy on his lap. "If you like boxes, then you'll love forts." He ruffled Harrison's hair affectionately before he stood up with Harrison. As he passed the fireplace, he tossed the letter into the fire. "So let's go make one, shall we?"


	21. Paying the Asking Price

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it's entirely the bunny's fault, not mine. The cute plot bunny went in this direction... and would not deviate. I'm sorry. In the next chapter, Severus's wife is revealed... /finally/ ;) Eileen's story, as is Severus's grandmum's story, are wrapped up. Thank you for reading. I'm hard at work on the next chapter.

Far from the happy family celebrating Christmas in Hogwarts' dungeons, the older Severus strode across the majestic floor of Gringotts towards the closest available goblin. He could feel the others' beady eyes on him, but continued forward. When he finally reached the goblin behind the counter, he felt himself start to relax slightly.

"Yes?" the goblin drawled, looking him over suspiciously.

"I wish to withdraw from my family vault," Severus replied, his voice steady and confident. When the goblin moved closer, likely to intimidate him he decided, Severus set the old black key onto the counter and flashed a faint smirk. "I believe you were going to ask for this, yes?"

The goblin's eyes remained on the black key several moments longer than necessary before it finally inclined its head. There was no doubt about it that the goblins were all stunned after seeing the black key. Then again, Severus had been banking on that reaction all along. He then watched the goblin snap its fingers and call over another.

"He'll take you to your vault, Mister Ashmore," the head goblin explained.

"Excellent." Severus held a hand out then to the other goblin, brushing off the use of the family name. "Lead the way." As they walked towards the carts, he fell in step with the goblin who would be accompanying him. He paused for half a moment and glanced back at the others who were looking on utterly stunned. "Is something the matter?" Severus asked brusquely, knowing perfectly well why they were all acting like that.

The goblin beside him choked for a second before he answered hesitantly. "No. Not at all, sir. It's merely been some time since someone from your family has been here. So, we had—with all due respect—considered your lineage to have, well, ended . . . extinct, sir."

Severus forced a scoff. "Yes, well, it's not. Now, how about we hurry up and cut the frivolous chit chat, hmm?" He noticed the goblin's sharp nod and quickly entered the cart.

As they zoomed off a few moments later to the vault, Severus found himself wondering for a brief moment if his past self had learned anymore about his father's side, namely his grandmother's family, the Ashmores. He supposed not, as the goblins seemed as shocked as ever by his appearance. The Aurors would learn it soon enough now, though. Of that, Severus had no doubt.

Water then suddenly sprayed across his face. The Thief's Downfall, he realized a moment later. He coughed momentarily, spitting up some of the unfortunate water that he had inhaled. However, the cart continued on its way before slowing to a stop soon after.

Once they had come to a complete stop, Severus handed the lantern to the goblin and then followed him up to the vault's door. With his back now turned to Severus, the goblin undid the intricate locks, his attention fully on his task. In turn, Severus's wand quickly slid into his hand.

" _Imperio."_

The goblin's hand instantly went limp and fell to its side.

"Take me to the Lestrange vault safely," Severus commanded.

When the goblin turned soon after and headed down the deserted corridor, the wizard felt his good mood increase. So far everything was going according to plan.

Thankful for Harry's information on what to expect, they reached the area guarded by the dragon soon after. Severus watched the goblin pull out two objects then before he started clanging them together, the dragon retreating in obvious pain and fear. He could see now why Harry and the others had freed the dragon. However, he couldn't be as kind to the creature as they had been. Not unless he wanted to alert the staff to the intruder.

"Open the vault," Severus ordered the goblin to do.

With one hand still clanging it the objects, the goblin pressed his free hand against the door, opening the vault a moment later. At the sight of all the bright shiny objects inside it, Severus shook his head. It was sickening to see.

He turned towards the goblin a moment later.

"Return to the surface now and tell no one about letting me into the Lestrange vault." He then ended his spell and watched the goblin head back to the cart without him. At hearing the growl of the dragon nearby, Severus stepped inside and caused the vault door to seal him inside. He flicked his wand lightly, the tip lighting up soon after. He then set off to work.

Originally, he had settled on using another Basilisk fang on the cup once he found it, but after ten minutes of searching and not finding the cup he knew his time was running out. There frankly was too much in the vault. He didn't have time to search for it any longer.

The longer he searched for it, the more noticeable it would be that he hadn't returned from the vaults. Someone certainly would notice that and come searching for him. It had to be here somewhere. After all, this is where Harry had said he found it.

Severus scanned the upper ledges for another few moments before he finally caught the twinkle of the reflected light near the very top. He drew in a deep breath and sighed.

If he attempted to climb up it, the Gemini curse would certainly take over.

"What am I doing?" he murmured to himself. He had always known it would come to this in the end. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his ring and tried to recall his wife one last time.

"You're utterly ridiculous, you know that?" he heard someone say behind one of the mounds of galleons. "Why must you always believe that death is the only option for you, Severus? Rather drama queen-like, wouldn't you say?"

His eyes flew open, and his head snapped towards the voice. He swallowed the moment he saw the ethereal ghost of his wife.

"We could be together again," she said softly, coming slowly out from behind the pile. "This isn't the only option, my love. You know this."

"I have to do this," he replied, his voice wavering slightly.

"Why?"

"Because no one else is willing to pay the asking price," he answered chokingly. "No one else is willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes in her typical fashion. "The Greater Good. Who are you, Severus? Albus Dumbledore now?" She pointed towards the vault door. "None of them have ever given a damn about you. So, why the hell would you do this, pay this price, for _them_?"

He turned away from her and ran a tired hand down his face. She was an obstacle the Horcrux in the Hufflepuff cup had created. That was so very clear to him. And, yet, he couldn't help but let her distract him one last time.

"For you," he replied. "I would do this for _you_." He could hear his voice crack, but pressed on. "It wasn't enough time, not nearly enough. You spent your whole life loving me, and all I got was six months to return it. Six months. This . . . this ensures I get longer than just six damn months!"

"What if he doesn't listen to you, though? What if he chooses another woman instead?" She crossed her arms. "Then what? You'll come back here a second time and mess with the timeline again?"

"No."

"Why not? You say it's because of me you've altered all our lives. Why wouldn't you do it again, Severus, to get your happy ending?"

"Because it'll be better this time for everyone."

"Says you."

"YES! Says me!" he snarled, his temper taking over temporarily.

"You're not God, Severus. You don't get to decide for all of us."

"Harry's life will be better this time."

"Don't you mean Harrison?" she corrected, giving him a hard look. "Harry Potter died after all with his parents. There is no boy who lived in this timeline. You did that."

"He'll tell him about his parents."

"Oh? When? When he's about to die alone like you did?"

"Neville will grow up in a house—"

"Where his parents will be in constant danger as they are Aurors." She mockingly clapped her hands. "Bravo, Severus. I'm sure he'll be quite glad for the nights of endless worrying he'll experience."

"Black has been exonerated! He's alive this time! Free and hardly scarred by his time in Azkaban. I did that! Me, who hates that man with a passion."

"What do you want, Severus, a thank you? Sirius has no family whatsoever anymore. James, Lily, Harry, Reg . . . all of them are dead, and Walburga will soon be joining them as you very well know. So, what does he get out of this arrangement of yours? The guilt of knowing that his best friend and his family died? I suppose it's one way to make certain Sirius pays for what he did to you."

"No! He has Lupin. He's not alone!" Severus shook his head angrily. He had to stop. The Horcrux was winning, keeping him distracted from his task. The goblins surely had noticed he was missing by now. They likely were on their way to him.

"And what of Albus? He resigned, passing everything off to Minerva. What of him, Severus? By the way, bravo for goading him into heading to Albania. Just how exactly is he supposed to know which animal Voldemort is possessing exactly, though?"

"He'll figure it out."

"Or die trying," she replied with a listless shrug. "But I guess that would be acceptable to you as well, wouldn't it?"

"Enough," he begged.

"Face it, Severus. You haven't made any of our lives better. You've merely thrown more obstacles our way. Though, I warned you of that once, didn't I? Right after I decided to stop working on that theory of mine all together. What did I tell you that day? Oh. Yes. Time ought not be meddled with, as it will always become unpredictable."

"It worked, though. Your theory worked."

"For now," she agreed. "Though, I must ask. Why didn't you go save your mother, Severus? You know where she's being held, what sorts of things are being done to her, have been done to her. You could have rescued her. Saved your own mother. Yet instead you saved Sirius from Azkaban. Eileen would be so ashamed of you, I think. Choosing him over family."

"No. No. They'll find her. They've got Rodolphus. It's only a matter of time before he talks. She . . . they'll find her."

"No. I don't think they will, Severus. Not this time. I think this time she'll die in that hole, and it'll all be because you didn't think she was worth saving. She's your mother, Severus."

"Stop it. She's fine. They'll find her and rescue her."

"Your mother. The woman who gave birth to you. Who sacrificed her own happiness for you. Who gave you her own food when she knew you were still hungry."

"Please . . ."

"Tell me. Was this solely because she didn't believe you about Roger? Because we both know why she didn't believe you." His wife then scoffed. "What was it your mother said to you? _'We are always given a choice. It's what we do with them that matter.'_ Well, we see now what you did with your choice, don't we?"

He inhaled sharply, taking a step back instantly. This wasn't his wife. It was the Horcrux. It had to be. It couldn't be her saying these horrible things to him. It couldn't.

"You know I'm right, Severus." She came closer just a bit. "So, tell me. What's the point of all this now? You don't honestly think it's going to matter, you destroying the last Horcrux, do you? It's not going to make him feel any better to find out that his mother died in a hole, alone. It's not going to make a bit of difference either when that little boy learns that he's not really his son. So, really . . . what's the point? Unless . . . no . . . it's not glory, is it? You're not truly wanting to be worshipped, are you? Because no one will even know you did this. They'll find your body down here, wasted away to nothing, eaten by vermin, and unidentifiable. You'll be just another nameless face, Severus."

"You're wrong."

"Am I?" She shrugged. "You sealed yourself in here. You have no goblin to let you out. Even Harry made sure he kept the goblins around. Your spells, while they are powerful, won't penetrate the walls here. You can't Disapparate either. So, how exactly are you going to get out of here, Severus?" She gave him a faint smile when he stared back at her. "Once again, you didn't take yourself into consideration, did you?"

He turned away from her, looking towards the cup.

"There's no shame in letting that one Horcrux go. Of choosing to save yourself instead this time. I mean, Bellatrix certainly would need to visit her vault every now and then, wouldn't she? So, why not just wait? I'll stay with you. I always have in the past, haven't I?"

He closed his eyes once more. It would be so easy to give in to the Horcrux and surrender. He wouldn't be alone this time, trapped with no way out. She would be there with him this time.

"Let this one go, my love," his wife said softly. "You've done enough for them."

His wand trembled slightly in his hand. He had to control his emotions, but he was finding that to be difficult considering. He knew what he had to do. He had to end this once and for all, so no others felt the terrible pain he felt. A moment later, he drew in a slow breath, steeling himself for the end.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I know. Just rest now. It'll all be all right," she replied quietly.

His eyes then reopened, and his wand thrust up into the air directed onto the cup.

"Severus? What are you doing?"

"Ending this," he replied resolutely.

"No!"

But it was too late. The flames violently erupted from his wand towards the Horcrux-infected Hufflepuff cup. He heard and felt the terrible rumbling all around him as the uncontrollable fire sought out everything in its path, incinerating all of it. The thick black smoke surrounded him instantly, sending him to his knees in horrible coughing fits. A loud roar then rippled through the air before everything suddenly went black.

Where there once was extreme heat, there now was a cool breeze starting to filter around him. He inhaled slowly, the rich earthly scent filling his nostrils at once. A warm, gentle light then fell onto his face, eradicating the darkness from before. What in the world? He opened his eyes a moment later.

Blinking several times in disbelief at what he saw, he then raised his hands and rubbed at his eyes when the sight before him hadn't changed. He had died . . . hadn't he? He was certain he had. And yet there in front of him stood Hogwarts, majestic as always.

"I don't understand," he said quietly to himself. "Aren't I . . . ?"

"Dead?" a voice cut in suddenly.

His head snapped to his right instantly before he inhaled sharply.

"Oh, my sweet boy," laughed the older woman as she approached him slowly, her long robes trailing behind her. "You're special, yes, but not that special, Severus. Not even you can survive the Fiendfyre, I'm afraid."

"Mum?" His voice broke. She looked exactly how she did before he had returned to the past.

"Hush. There's no need for that," Eileen quietly chided, as if she had read his mind.

"You can't be dead. You were . . . Mum, you can't be dead," he pleaded, his heart aching.

"Oh, I'm not." She gave a quiet laugh. "I'm quite alive in the new future you've constructed."

"Then, how . . ."

She waved her hand. "It's best not to question these things, Severus. It'll only give you a headache. Much like how your father used to give one to me all the time." She then held a hand out to him. "Well, come on then. Take it already. Unless you think you're too old to hold your mother's hand, Severus?" She let her voice trail off as her familiar smirk took over.

He took her hand a moment later and walked beside her.

"What is this, Mother?" he asked after several minutes had passed by silently. He noticed the path they were taking led towards the entrance hall.

Eileen laughed softly. "I thought that'd be obvious." She then stopped briefly before she reached up and pressed her hand against his cheek tenderly. "I'll forgive you this time, seeing as how you're so very obviously exhausted. So strong." She ran her fingers through his hair lovingly.

Without warning, a few tears slid down his cheeks. He hadn't known just how much he had missed this. How much he had missed her.

"Shh," his mother soothed. "It's over, my beautiful boy. You succeeded."

"The Horcruxes?"

"All destroyed. He has no more anchors tying him to that world anymore."

Severus closed his eyes, instinctively leaning into his mother's hand. He had won.

"I'm so tired, Mum."

"I know you are." She then pulled his head down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "We're almost there."

It felt so peaceful to him, walking through Hogwarts' empty halls with his mother beside him. Her arm was around his waist, as his was draped around her shoulders. He leaned into her more than he was proud of as they ascended up the staircase. He couldn't help but chuckle, though.

"Just what's so funny there, young man?" Eileen's tone conveyed her playfulness.

"For so long, I thought it would be her escorting me there, Mum."

"Oh?" Eileen stopped instantly, her hands going to her hips. "You would rather your wife's company than mine? Well, now, I see where I rank on your list." She then shook her head. "Put a ring on a boy's finger and suddenly his mother isn't good enough."

"No, Mother. That's not it all," Severus argued. "I just thought she'd have been here, waiting for me. That's all."

Eileen then sighed loudly and dramatically. Severus was certain she was teasing him . . . mostly.

"I'm glad you're here, though." And he truly was. It was calming having his mother with him.

His mother's eyes darted to him as she frowned. "She was here, Severus," Eileen declared. "She's been watching over you ever since that day."

His eyes narrowed on her. "Then why—"

"Well, you know how silly she is sometimes." Eileen rolled her eyes, but Severus could have sworn (though, it could have been the exhaustion) that he had fondness in his mother's voice . . . and perhaps a bit of respect as well. "She figured I would be the better choice after what you've gone through with those nasty Horcruxes."

"Oh."

"Indeed." Eileen then turned away from him.

"You're not dead?" he repeated, suddenly unsure of himself again.

"No. I'm still quite alive in your new timeline . . . how the me from your timeline came to be here . . . well, when you're rested and can handle a headache, we'll get to that."

"Good."

She half-snorted. "After her death, you wouldn't even bother to see me, Severus. So, let's call it as it is, shall we?"

"That's not true."

"Oh, it very well is."

"No, Mother. It wasn't you alone that I didn't want to see."

She threw her hands up into the air. "That certainly makes me feel better, Severus, thank you."

"I didn't want to see _anyone_ after that. Dad only saw me because he forced himself in, afraid that he'd never see me again."

"Do you blame him?"

"No." Severus shook his head. "He lost twelve years this time, Mum."

"Yes. And I lost twenty-two in our timeline. But let's not play the game of which parent suffered more, hmm? Since it is so obvious that I would win it."

"Then the Horcrux is right," Severus said quietly, glancing down.

"No. I didn't say that."

"I focused on everyone else, Mother."

"Enough. You knew Riddle's downfall would lead to my rescue. That was how it occurred in our timeline. You did nothing wrong, Severus."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"Yes. And so does your wife and the countless others you saved."

He sighed, not entirely believing her. Glancing upwards, he noticed the bright light ahead and stopped. "Mother?" He watched her turn back with a confused look. "I need to see it before I . . ."

"I thought you might." She held her hand out to him once more. He took it without any hesitation. The moment his hand connected with hers, their surroundings blurred for a moment before he saw two scenes projected in front of them in cloudy masses. The first scene was of his past self with little Harry and Tobias making a fort, which the little boy unfortunately kept destroying as soon as the two men could build it. He watched the three fall to the floor laughing a moment later, his younger self tickling the squirming little boy who shrieked with laugher. Satisfied with what he had seen, he turned and glanced at the next cloudy mass.

The second scene was of a forest with numerous woodland creatures racing about as Albus Dumbledore walked through the woods with his wand out. Severus's eyes remained on this one longer than the first. He needed to see Voldemort's death. To know it truly was over once and for all. He watched Dumbledore observe the animals as he continued forward, clearly looking for the animal that seemed out of place. When he noticed the red-eyed badger a moment later, Severus waited. Dumbledore struck soon after, a green light quickly enveloping the red-eyed badger that went limp instantly. Severus inhaled sharply, the cool air reaching the very deepest part of him.

"If it had been me, I'd have tortured the little bastard for a bit before killing him," Eileen quietly remarked as she stood beside her son looking on.

"As would I," Severus replied. He turned back once the scene faded, leaving only the staircase leading to the bright white light above. "Thank you."

Eileen smiled again. "Come here." She embraced him warmly, kissing both of his cheeks. "I am so proud of you, my baby boy."

He inhaled shakily before he returned her hug.

"Now, go," she said, pulling back from him. "Be with your wife and child."

His eyes narrowed on her, though, not moving an inch. "Aren't you coming with me, Mum?"

Eileen, however, smiled warmly at him. "No, Severus. I can't." She then glanced up towards the light where Severus could only now start to make out his wife's shadow as she waited for him. "I'll join you later, though . . . your father and I both will. I promise."

His eyes then closed as he understood her meaning. She was still alive.

"I love you, Mum."

Eileen smiled softly and nodded. "I love you, too, Severus. Now, go. Rest."

He headed up the stairs a moment later. He had succeeded. Every last Horcrux had been destroyed. There would be no second war. No return of the Dark Lord. Harry was safe, loved even. Severus had completed his mission . . . again.

"Are you planning on chiding me as well?" Severus asked his wife with a hint of a smirk.

His wife laughed, however. "No, love. Not this time." She held her hand out to him, the light kissing her skin radiantly.

He grabbed her hand a moment later, a familiar warmth flooding him.

"Let's go home, Severus."

With a quick nod to her, he walked with his wife, hand-in-hand, into the bright light. He could finally rest. Together, they faded a moment later, the light taking them.


	22. In the End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally, this was going to be even longer of a chapter, but my beta DaughterOfAres said it'd take away from the final revelation. You can blame her. I do believe, though, I have answered all of the final questions here. If not, well, I apologize. I'm human, and being such ensures that I do make mistakes. :) So, please forgive me if I didn't answer something. I did my best. lol. Finally, thank you for all of your awesome comments and favs for this story. I know it's been a long wait, but thank you for sticking it out with me. Enjoy.

After the holidays were over and the world seemed to have balanced itself out again, the twenty-two-year-old Severus found himself once again standing in front of a class full of dunderheads who believed they were absolute geniuses. Seriously, he had thought (or rather hoped) some of his students wouldn't have returned from their break. His luck, clearly, wasn't that good yet.

"Since all of you claim to be well prepared for your upcoming OWLs . . ." Severus announced with a thin smile that proved he didn't believe his words for an instant. "For this lesson, you will pair off with anyone you so choose. However, each pair must be comprised of opposite Houses." He glared at the class when he heard their instant grumblings. "Yes, I'm certain some of you would enjoy working with a housemate instead of someone from an opposing House. Luckily for me, you don't get to decide that." He forced another thin smile when he caught several Gryffindors frowning at him. When he noticed a raised hand towards the back a few moments later, he sighed inwardly. Just once he would love it if his students just trusted him and set off to work after receiving their directions. Just once. He didn't think that was too much to ask for. "Yes?"

"Sir, what exactly is the point of this?" the young Slytherin asked before she glanced hesitantly across the room towards the Gryffindors.

"I would think the point would be quite obvious, Miss Lark." He caught her loud sigh instantly.

"Unity, I know, but, sir, you can't honestly believe forcing us to work together will somehow, you know, make us like one another." She then paused before she added a quiet, "Can you?"

He crossed his arms and stared down at the young witch in response. "Remind me again how dangerous it can be brewing potions?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh . . ." She seemed genuinely surprised by his question, blinking several times before she could speak coherently again. "Very dangerous, sir. One misstep, stirring anti-clockwise when the potion requires clockwise for example, could result in the castle coming down on us."

"Exactly." The young teacher nodded slowly. "So, by my pairing you with a Gryffindor, what would it force both of you to rely on, Miss Lark?"

She paused for a moment, thinking on his question. Several minutes passed before the metaphorical lightbulb turned on. "Trust, sir. It would require both of us to trust one another."

"Correct. Ten points to Slytherin." He noticed several Gryffindors' shoulders slump in defeat. "And why would trust be important here, Mister Dennison?" Severus asked a Gryffindor boy who sat in the very back, causing the young wizard to sit up straighter at once.

"Uh, because it would make us see each other as, um, comrades, I guess, not as mortal enemies."

"Well put," Severus replied, nodding. "Ten points to Gryffindor." He watched the young lions instantly perk up and show signs of life again. Maybe he was starting to get the hang of this teaching thing after all. "Trust. It can easily be broken, telling something told in confidence by a friend for example, but keep in mind trust is also so hard to earn back once it is lost," he stated, giving his students a hard look. "Luckily for you, I don't trust any of you enough to be near the dangerous potions yet."

He then motioned towards the simmering cauldrons in front of the confused pairs. "To prepare you for your upcoming OWLs, I've arranged a little exercise for us today. In each of the cauldrons before you, there is a potion inside simmering at various stages of the brewing process. Your task for the next hour is for you and your partner to discern which potion it is in your cauldron and what step I have stopped at. Once you have both of these answers, you and your partner will complete your potion, brewing it together." He saw the instant look of panic sweep across the room and sighed inwardly. Clearly, none of these brats understood that education was meant to challenge them, not be easy. "I assure you, all of the potions in front of you are ones we have brewed in this class before. You may refer back to your notes and your book, but not other pairs. Is this understood?" He caught several clipped nods from a few of his students. "Excellent. Then proceed." He watched the flurry of students take off, finding partners of the opposite House before they quickly started.

To make it easier on himself, Severus had brewed only three different potions: Swelling Solution, Pepperup, and Amortentia. Each potion had distinctive qualities that if anyone had ever been paying attention in his class would be able to identify immediately. He still didn't know why he had chosen Amortentia of all things, though.

As he zigzagged through the classroom, walking in between tables, he checked on their progress. Every now and then, he would stop briefly and make a comment to a pair about their potion. He tried to keep his usual nasty sarcasm he had reserved only for the students to a minimum this time. This exercise was as much as it was for them as it was for him. He needed to re-earn their trust as a teacher.

Suppressing yet another pain filled wince near the end of the hour, Severus started to seriously question his sanity. How on earth could he have expected his fifth-years to correctly predict the step he had stopped on after receiving little to no hints as to what the potions in front of them were in the first place? He glanced up at the clock, thankful when he saw class was almost over with. This was starting to become very, very painful for him to watch. So many cauldrons had fallen victim already.

Yet another Pepperup became black sludge, he noticed after there had been a quick poof from a nearby cauldron. However, it wasn't the ruined potion that got his attention the most. It was the looks on the pairs' faces as they hesitantly met his eyes. To him, the failed pairs reminded him of kicked puppies.

"Enough," Severus called out, finally admitting defeat. He watched several more students glance at him. "You've all reached my quota on ruined potions for the next ten years, thank you," he dryly commented, crossing his arms across his chest again. He then exhaled. "Not a single one of you managed to brew your potion to completion. Why is that, I wonder?" Heads instantly bowed guiltily, as eyes lowered as well. However, one brave young man raised his hand slowly. "Yes, Mister Dennison?"

"Because we haven't been taking our studying seriously, sir," the Gryffindor answered honestly.

Not knowing quite how to reply to that honesty, Severus inclined his head. Normally, he would have made some snide remark, but he couldn't be that man anymore. "I take it then my point has been made, however?"

"Yes, sir" was the chorus he heard from his students.

"Wonderful." He then glanced up at the clock again and saw he had a minute left. "For those of you who are wondering what potions these were, it was Pepperup, Swelling Solution, and Amortentia. Since none of you brewed them successfully, I think three feet on them should do the trick. You have until our next class to finish your essay." He then waved his dismissal and watched his students leave. He was going to teach them something before the end of the year, or die trying he figured.

The moment the last student in the class had stepped into the hallway, Severus drew his wand and flicked it towards the cauldrons, making the majority of the contents inside each of them vanish. He then waved his wand a moment later and cast a cleansing spell in order to thoroughly remove all traces of anything that had been stuck inside. Once he was satisfied the cauldrons were clean, he headed into his office, closing the door behind him.

A part of him debated on marking his third-year exams. Seeing how much of his class failed to grasp basic concepts wasn't really any sort of fun for him, contrary to public opinion. Not like brewing was. And, truthfully, there was only so much of his students' idiocy he could handle in a day, which his fifth-years had just reached a bit ago. So, he turned away from the stack of exams and chose instead to work on a potion he had been developing. He knew he was close. There was just one last ingredient . . .

The short knock against his door a half-hour later, though, took him from his potion.

"Enter," sighed the young professor, setting aside his research immediately. Whoever it was had better be needing help or else, he grumpily thought, as the door slowly opened.

"I apologize for disturbing you, Severus," stated McGonagall as she stepped into the room.

"There's no need, Headmistress," Severus replied respectfully, politely inclining his head at the dark-skinned Auror who entered with McGonagall. "I take it there's been a development?"

"There has," answered Auror Shacklebolt. He then glanced towards McGonagall, who silently excused herself from the room soon after. Once the door had closed behind the headmistress, the Auror continued. "At roughly—"

Severus's hand shot up suddenly to stop Shacklebolt. "No. No long, distracting details like that. Out with it. Did you find my mother? Yes or no."

Shacklebolt paused, his eyes softening slightly, before he inclined his head. "We did, sir."

The young man drew in a sharp breath and closed his eyes. They had found her. _Finally_. "Where is she now?" he demanded.

"St. Mungo's."

With a determined nod, Severus whirled towards the door and headed for it. He clenched his teeth instantly when Shacklebolt grabbed his arm as he passed by the man.

"I understand your need to rush to your mother's side, however—"

"No," Severus snapped, yanking his arm out of the man's hand. "No 'however.' You found my mother, so I'm going to her. Now!"

"She was severely injured, Severus. She wasn't even conscious when we found her."

"Doesn't matter. My father and I have waited long enough." Severus then tried to brush past the man, but found that Shacklebolt seemed stronger than he looked. On second thought, he should've known, considering the man was an Auror.

"I understand. I truly do, Professor," Shacklebolt calmly said. "However, there are protocols in place we must follow, sir."

"To hell with protocols," Severus snarled, glaring at the man. "I'm getting my father and child, and then we're all going to St. Mungo's. Now, get out of my way, damn it!"

"I cannot do that, sir. Not without going over—"

"I don't have time for this!" The twenty-one-year-old man then whirled around and sprinted towards the nearest door. It was ridiculous, he knew, but he was going to be damned if he had to wait a second longer to see his mother. To apologize for all the years he had foolishly thought ill of her.

"Sir, stop!" Shacklebolt yelled after him, as the young man continued to flee the Auror. "By order of the Ministry, cease this instant!"

The portrait that hid Severus's rooms flew open a second later, and Severus leapt into it. However, the wand that appeared directly in front of him shortly after stopped him dead in his tracks. He was face to face with Shacklebolt's partner, Rigotti.

"Hello, Professor," drawled the veteran Auror who had his wand trained on Severus.

Huffing slightly in order to catch his breath, Severus stared back at Rigotti. "I just want to see my mother. Is that a crime?"

"No, but for the record disobeying a direct order from an Auror does tend to get one Stunned," Rigotti replied lightly, lowering his wand slowly. He gave a curt nod to his partner who entered soon after. "As I'm certain Kingsley informed you a few moments ago, your mother is currently being tended to by a mass of Healers at St. Mungo's. We are more than happy to escort you, your father, and your son there, Severus. But only after we follow the proper Ministry protocols. Is this understood?"

"Why?" Severus then scoffed, shaking his head. "Why do we have to follow any of that rubbish? My mother could be dying. Do you realize that?" He threw his hands up into the air. "And yet you still want to waste our time with such idiotic policies put into place by bureaucrats who know nothing."

"Be as that may, these policies are—"

"Mandated by the Ministry," Severus snapped. "Yes, I could figure that out for myself, thank you." He then pressed his lips tightly together when he caught his father's disapproving look. Well, he didn't see Tobias arguing about not being able to see Eileen right then and there.

"If, while you are there, your mother regains consciousness at any time, you must not ask her any questions regarding her capture and imprisonment," stated Auror Shacklebolt, standing a bit taller now.

"Understood. Now, may we leave?" the young man asked through clenched teeth. He caught the Aurors glance at one another before Rigotti finally sighed.

"This is very important, Professor. If you ask her any questions regarding any of that without authorities and/or legal counsel present, it will make things more difficult later on when your mother's case is being prosecuted. The policies are in place to protect people like your mother."

"He gets it, sir," Tobias quietly said a moment later. "We won't ask nothin'. Scout's honor."

Severus frowned instantly, glancing at his father. Scout's honor? What the hell?

"Excellent," the lead Auror replied. "When we arrive at St. Mungo's, you three will be directed by a member of the staff to the office of the Healer in charge of her case. It is our understanding you will then be briefed by the Healer before she will take you to see Eileen. It is vital you keep your word and ask Eileen nothing about her imprisonment. Not unless you want the ones responsible for her kidnapping to go unpunished."

At those words, the young man winced inwardly. Severus didn't want that. He wanted them to pay for what they had done. The time he had lost with his mother. He supposed then he could follow orders and wait to learn what had happened. If it meant the ones who did paid, then it was worth it. Silently, he walked over to Harrison, grabbing the young boy from Tobias's arms. A moment later, all of them had Flooed to St. Mungo's.

* * *

Tapping his long fingers against the chair's arm, Severus had done his best to remain distracted after Narcissa Malfoy had led them into the Healer in Charge's office. Severus had already tried bouncing little Harrison, but had quickly found that only annoyed the little boy greatly. So, Harrison was now happily in his grandfather's arms again.

"Son, it's okay," Tobias said for what seemed to be the hundredth time since they had arrived. "This lass will be here any minute. Ya just watch. Okay?"

"That's what you said an hour ago," the young man grumbled. He couldn't sit there for another moment. He needed to do something. Walk, maybe? He didn't know anymore. He stood up, though, and walked around the office, looking at the rows upon rows of books in the bookcases. The Healer clearly was well-versed in the classics, along with her medical literature. However, when he reached a shelf of photos, he paused briefly, his eyes narrowing on a photo of a curly dark-haired young woman near his own age dressed in her Slytherin robes and an older man who clearly was the young woman's father.

"What's wrong?" Tobias asked, quickly picking up on Severus's sudden mood shift.

"Nothing." Severus shook his head, turning from the Healer's family photo. He never would have guessed that would be _her_ mother. He thought for a second how she must take after her father then before he brushed all thoughts aside. He couldn't think about her . . . about their supposed future together. Not when his mother was . . . was . . .

"Son?"

Sighing inwardly and closing his eyes briefly, Severus slowly turned back to his father.

"I been doin' some thinkin' and, well, maybe ya should go in alone. To see yer mum, I mean."

"What?"

"Well, it's just, you know, last she knew I was a bastard who abandoned her and forced her to raise our son alone. Ain't like she's really gonna be all happy to see me, Severus."

The young man's brows furrowed. "You don't want to see her?"

"Course I do. I just don't want the first thing she does upon wakin' is to have a heart attack or somethin' cause of my ol' face."

Without thinking, Severus argued, "She'd hex you, I think, rather than have a heart attack."

"Eh, ya knew what I meant." Tobias then glanced down at Harrison. "And, well, the jury's still out on how she's gonna react once she finds out about this little lad, too. So, let's be gentle with her. No sense in makin' her head spin any more than it already will, right?"

It made sense. And Severus had to admit that he, too, was worried how Eileen would take all the surprises. His mother was a strong woman certainly, but after years in captivity, who knew? She likely wasn't the same person he had grown up with anymore. Time was funny that way.

"Yeah," Severus said quietly, his head dipping slightly.

Several more minutes passed by before the door finally opened. Both men instantly glanced at the blonde woman in lime green robes as she entered. Severus's stomach did a flip when the familiar icy blue eyes momentarily rested on him before she looked away.

"I apologize for the delay," stated the blonde healer, closing the door behind her. "I'm Healer Syra Sinistra, but you may refer to me as 'Syra." She headed to her desk then before she sat down. "I'll make this short since I'm certain you are wanting to see her as soon as possible." The witch then clasped her hands in front of her and stared at both of them. "She is severely malnourished, which I am attempting to correct as we speak through various potion regimens. With luck, she should be back to eating on her own in a few days. However, judging by the severe trauma she's so obviously underwent, it may take longer than that. It all depends on how receptive she is."

"They starved her?" Severus felt his stomach roll slightly. If he had only chosen the light instead of the darkness, this never would have happened. None of it.

"Yes, and beat her and various other vile actions that will certainly earn them all a well-deserved Kiss from the Dementors in the end," coldly replied the blonde healer.

"But she'll get better, yeah?" Tobias asked, keeping an arm wrapped protectively around his grandson who was wiggling.

"Physically, yes. However, mentally, that all depends on your wife, Mister Snape." Syra sighed quietly. "There is only so much a healer can do after all. The rest is up to the patient. Luckily for us, Eileen Snape is known for being a stubborn survivor."

Severus decided not to ask her how she knew that. "The Aurors stated earlier she wasn't awake."

Syra nodded slowly. "When she first arrived here yesterday, she was unconscious, yes. It was partly a result of the numerous mind-altering potions I found in her system. However, they have since been flushed out, and she's regained partial consciousness. It is mostly hit or miss right now, I admit. But I was able to carry on a five minute conversation with her earlier. Informing her about your presence actually to see if she felt up to visitors yet."

"And?"

"As I stated before, she's only regained partial consciousness so far. So, she wasn't able to answer me back fully, but we typically do allow family to visit in these circumstances as it assists us in helping our patients regain full consciousness."

Severus nodded slowly. He was glad to hear he could visit his mother.

"The Aurors, I take it, informed you that you cannot ask her any questions regarding her captivity?" When Syra saw their nods, she gave them a thin smile. "Then allow me to reiterate it. It is vital you do not ask her anything about it, as it will no doubt upset her. At this point in time, she needs all the rest she can get in order to heal fully. So, do not upset her needlessly, or else I shall throw you out of St. Mungo's in an instant."

"We understand."

Syra inclined her head respectfully towards Tobias a moment later. "I hope for your sake you do." She then stood again, reaching for a folder on her desk before she held it out to him. "Before we head to Eileen's room, this is for you, Mister Snape."

"For me?" Tobias frowned, slowly handing Harrison over to Severus before taking the file.

"I was told you wanted to know about your genealogy," she replied with pursed lips.

Tobias blinked. "You know who my mum is?"

"It wasn't hard once I had a sample of your blood to test against." She then motioned to the file. "That is the only copy I made and intend to make considering whom the players are."

"Players?" Severus tiled his head to the side. He then watched her draw her wand before she flicked it once, a soft crackling filtered around the room as the privacy charm was activated.

"If the Ministry learned of your father's lineage or anyone else for that matter, serious questions would be raised within the Ministry. The first being 'How on Earth it is possible for there to be a living descendant of a long-ago extinct family line?" When both men stared back at her in confusion, she sighed. "As I'm certain you can ascertain, the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on all of the family lines. They claim it is purely innocent and merely for research. Anyone with half a brain knows, though, it is much more than that. It is a method to track its subjects. One of the many reasons I despise the Ministry with a passion."

"What does any of that have to do with my father, though?"

Syra sighed loudly again before she forced her smile a bit more. It reminded him of all the times he had to smile this past semester to his idiot students who thought Potions was nothing more than a class where one threw in random ingredients into a cauldron and waited to see what happened.

"Have you ever heard of the Ashmore family?" She paused for half a moment, glancing at either of them before inclining her head. "I see. Well, allow me to fill you in. The Ashmores were a powerful Wizarding family. They had tried everything known to man in order to conceive a child but to no avail. So they then decided to visit a local orphanage after years of trying. The moment the young couple saw this beautiful little girl, no more than a few months old, they knew she was the one they wanted. So, they adopted her and brought her to their manor, raising her as their own—even setting the girl up with access to their Gringotts account when she was older. They named her Ismerelda Ashmore, keeping the first name the orphanage had given this little girl. When their adopted daughter turned five, though, they learned Lady Ashmore was finally pregnant. The family was elated, as were all their friends. Yet, when the time came, Lady Ashmore unfortunately died in childbirth, which was the norm for the era.

"So, Lord Ashmore raised the children, Ismerelda and Caleb, alone," Syra continued. "When Ismerelda turned eleven, her adopted father was convinced the owl that had her Hogwarts letter had gotten lost. So, he took her to Hogwarts, only to discover that poor Ismerelda could not see the castle. You see, she was a Muggle. The house elves stated he loved her no less, though, for this."

Syra then shook her head.

"Naturally, when the so-called 'cleansing the earth' came a few years after Caleb's birthday, the Ashmores and their house elves were reported to have all been massacred in their home. Thus, the tragic tale we know today was born. And yet…" Syra gave a short laugh. "We have evidence that proves that young Ismerelda did not die with her father and brother. Well, at least not that day."

"I don't understand."

"Ismerelda is your mother," Syra stated to Tobias. "The mitochondrial DNA proves it."

"The mit-a-what-a?" Tobias blinked rapidly before he glanced towards his son helplessly.

Severus's frown deepened, as he absentmindedly rubbed gentle circles against Harrison's back. "How is that possible?"

Syra shrugged slightly. "I would imagine the Auror who reported her death lied." Her lips quickly turned upwards as she stared back at the young twenty-year-old. "Certainly not the first to do what's best for the child, of course. Wouldn't you say?" As soon as she got her desired reaction from him, she turned away from the young man.

"So, yer sayin', what exactly, lass? That some guy was checkin' rooms and found my mum and snuck her out somehow?"

"Yes." Syra's head dipped forward. "The Ashmores and etc. were murdered by dark wizards, which required the Ministry's usual involvement in such crimes. One of the Aurors likely came across your mother and decided to hide her away so no one could come and finish the job."

All of this sounded strangely familiar to the young man, which he knew it should. Harrison had underwent the same thing. As he listened to Syra continue, he couldn't help but wonder if Syra had been the one to save Ismerelda, as the blond healer had done for Chloe all those years ago.

"Was she one of yours?" Severus finally asked, catching Syra's ice blue eyes narrow minutely.

"Before my time, actually," she answered with a mock smile. "However, the practice dates back to long before any of us were born. It's only recently we've advanced enough that we can rediscover these so-called 'lost' children and, if desired, reunite them with their parents."

The young man nodded slowly, unable to think of anything to say in response to that.

"Was there anything else?"

Tobias instantly scratched the back of his neck before he inclined his head. "Yeah. Uh, it's sorta foolish, but . . . ya said earlier she died later. Did ya find out what happened after I was born?"

Severus noticed Syra's shoulders slump slightly.

"Please, lass. Tell me."

"Unfortunately, Mister Snape, there isn't much to tell you. The Aurors who were tasked with finding out your missing background reached out to their Muggle counterparts in Cokeworth again." A look of pity crossed Syra's face briefly before it once again disappeared.

"And . . . ? Come on, lass. There's gotta be more than that."

"The surviving people in your neighborhood were re-interviewed by the Muggle authorities, and they still cannot recall ever seeing a woman living with you and your father after you were born."

"So, what, I was hatched then?" Tobias drawled sarcastically.

"Hardly," Syra replied with a snort. "It is more likely the case that after you were weaned off your mother's breast, your father killed her, as she was of no more use to him. However, all that is idle speculation at this point."

"Based on what evidence?" Severus inquired, his eyes narrowing on the healer. Syra seemed awfully certain of herself for some reason.

Once more, Syra's 'You're a certifiable idiot' look was directed at Severus. However, she answered him a moment later.

"It's based on how none of the other Muggles can recall seeing a woman there except one time. It was a pregnant woman who had been attempting to leave the house only to be caught by Tobias's father and promptly brought back inside. The neighbors had recalled Tobias's father claiming the woman was delirious and quite ill, so they thought nothing of it because nothing ever happened in that neighborhood ever." Syra held a hand out. "Clearly, she had to have been locked up somewhere after that attempt if no one else saw her ever again. Then we have the last item, dated a year after your father's birth, found with the same initials, IA, as the ones on Tobias's birth certificate. It was a Christmas card addressed to an orphanage in London. The authorities checked out the orphanage but naturally dismissed it as being a dead end."

Syra's eyes then sparkled slightly, as her smile turned even more predatory. "So, adding all that together, my long history as being a healer and experience has shown me that these are all classic signs of abuse. She tried to escape, which the neighbors witnessed but did nothing as they foolishly took the abuser's word for it. She wasn't seen after that escape by any of the neighbors according to the Muggle authorities. Though, that's not at all surprising considering how most abusers then will reassert their dominance over their victims in order to remain in control. The card bearing her initials, if I were to guess, was his reward for good behavior. Yet, once she lost her use to him, having provided the necessary nourishment for his child, he would have no other option but to kill her in order to remove the unnecessary variable. Add to the fact that Tobias later suffered abuse from his father as well, it is all very clear then what happened. Isn't it?"

When they didn't say anything, Syra gave an approving nod towards them. "In case you wish to reach out to the orphanage I mentioned earlier, Mister Snape, I must inform you that it was destroyed not long ago in a fire. Everything else you wish to know is in that report."

"Thank you, lass," Tobias quietly replied, closing his eyes as he brought it closer.

"As you can see, sometimes it is better not to know what happened. It is easier that way," Syra stated with a sigh before she headed to the door and opened it. "If you'll follow me . . ."

Severus rose a moment later, resituating Harrison against him, and followed after his father quietly. It may have been easier not knowing the truth, but it certainly didn't mean finding out the truth shouldn't at least be attempted. His father now had a possible explanation of what had happened to his mother. He wouldn't live a lifetime of wondering. That was worth the pain, wasn't it?

A few moments later, they all came to stop in front of one of the rooms. Severus watched Syra knock gently against the door before she opened it slowly.

"Eileen?" Syra called out, her voice low and almost gentle now.

Peering around the healer soon after, Severus finally saw his mother. And what he saw nearly caused him to drop Harrison.

Skeletons looked better than Eileen did at this point. Her cheeks, which had always been somewhat sunken in, were now giant craters. And her eyes . . . the dark eyes that were so full of love once were now dull and vacant-looking. It sent chills down Severus's spine. How could this . . . this thing be his mother?

Numbly, Severus felt Tobias pull Harrison out of his arms. No. No this couldn't be his mother.

"Eileen?" Syra repeated, still standing at the doorway and blocking the men from entering.

There was a quiet sound, not quite a whimper but not a 'yes' either, from the other witch.

"I have your son Severus here with me. Is it all right if he comes in?"

The young man noticed his mother's head move slightly, as if she was turning to look at him. He then saw Eileen's long, bony fingers move just a bit.

Syra stepped aside instantly, allowing the young man into the room.

Severus glanced towards his father, though, realizing that there was no way his mother was strong enough for that quite yet. Luckily, Tobias understood without Severus having to say a thing. His father gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze that meant it was all right and then stepped back with Harrison. Severus stepped inside a moment later before he strode across the room to his mother's bedside. He looked back at Syra briefly, as if to ask if it was okay to take her hand. Once the healer gave him the nod, he did just that, gently slipping his hand into his mother's. He felt his breathing hitch the moment his mum's hand closed around his soon after.

"Mum," he whispered, his head falling forward as the tears suddenly fell from his eyes. "Please forgive me. I . . . I'm so sorry." He lifted his head up slightly, seeing the tears in his mum's eyes as well. "Oh, God, what did I do to you?" He felt the instant painful squeeze of disapproval then. "No. No, Mum. You can't. Not this time. _I_ did this to you. Me," he argued. "I left you with him. I-I abandoned you, Mum. I . . . I'm sorry." He leaned towards her, bringing her hand up gently to kiss it. However, as soon as he was close to her hand, she lightly tapped him. He was certain if she'd had her strength, that tap would have been a slap instead. He frowned in response. "You didn't do anything to deserve this, Mum." He needed to make that clear to her.

After all, if there was anything he had learned these past few months, it was that no one deserved to feel pain or suffer. Nothing one could do would ever deserve that.

A flicker of her old self reappeared for a brief second in the form of a mild glare directed at the young man. Severus, however, shook his head.

"Mum, please. You didn't do anything to deserve this. I, I should've been stronger," he stated, his voice faltering slightly. "I should've told you the truth. Protected you like you had done for me all those years. Oh, Mum . . ." He leaned towards her, gently brushing back a stray strand and hooking it behind her ear. "Please, forgive me." The moment he felt her cool hand against his cheek, his eyes closed and he turned into her palm. He hadn't known how much he had missed her until right then.

For four years, he hadn't spoken or seen her. With Roger in her life, he hadn't thought it was sensible for him to do so. For four long years, he had left her alone and abandoned, held and clearly tortured by Death Eaters—his so-called brothers and sisters. For four years, she had suffered because of him. Because he had failed her. Just as he had failed Lily.

His breathing hitched again. The tears streamed down his cheeks, the salt soaking onto his lips. How on earth could anyone love him? Could want to be with him? No. No, his future self had to be wrong. There was no such woman like that. There couldn't be. What woman would ever want to be with a man who had failed to protect two women he had loved? Two!

"Oh," his mother moaned, causing him to glance at her. She sounded like a wounded animal, dying. "My sweet boy," she mouthed, love finally beating the terrible pain in her eyes. "My Severus."

* * *

Late spring soon descended onto the magical castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had seemed (at least to Severus that was) that with each sunny day of warmth, yet another milestone had been reached by his mother. Her physical therapy had ended a month back, as she was strong enough now to walk without assistance. But it was clear she would be needing mental therapy for years to come in order to properly deal with her trauma. To which his father had, unfortunately, joked that they would be doing it all together as a family for the three-for-one special. His mother had rightly smacked Tobias for that remark.

Once his last class for the week had finished, Severus had quickly stalked across the courtyard full of students towards the laughing trio of Snapes who were carrying on without a care in the world. Where he once would have complained that his parents and son were ruining his reputation, he now was thankful for the break. It had been a breath of much-needed fresh air in his life, he found.

"Good afternoon, Professor Snape," called out one of his students as he passed her by. He inclined his head towards the young Hufflepuff fourth-year, but continued towards his family.

So what if he wasn't the bastard of the dungeons anymore? He was something much better. In fact, he felt calmer now than he had ever felt before.

"Toby, I swear to God," Eileen groaned loudly, slight amusement in her voice as she shook her head at something her husband was doing. "It's not 'Alohobora.' It's ' _Alohomora_.' MORE-A."

"Yeah. That's what I been sayin,' woman. _Alohobora_!"

Severus winced inwardly, debating with himself if he should turn around and mark his sixth-year essays. Oddly enough, the essays were sounding more appealing to him than watching his father practice his magic. However, once Harrison saw him, the young man knew there was no escaping.

"Dadda!" shouted the little boy before he ran full force towards Severus and launched himself into his dad's waiting arms. He wrapped his arms tightly around Severus's neck as he embraced him warmly. "Wook. Wook." He pointed at Tobias, who was holding a wand in his hand.

"Yes, so I see," the young father replied with a faint smile. It was practice day again for Tobias.

Harrison's hazel eyes sparkled brightly, the specks of intense green shining brilliantly every now and then in the sunlight. If there was one thing Harrison truly loved, it was seeing someone practicing his or her magic. Typical child behavior, he knew, but his son was so not the typical child, though.

"She's right by the way, Dad," Severus quietly remarked. "You keep saying ' _Alohobora'_ when it's ' _Alohomora._ "

"Har, har, everyone's a critic," Tobias grumbled before he flicked his wand. " _Lumos."_ The very tip of his wand suddenly lit up as a result with no hints of scarlet in it this time. "See? I ain't as dumb as ya two think I am. I can at least cast that one pretty good now."

"Yes, so we see," Eileen replied quietly. "If we ever need a light, we now know whom to call."

Severus couldn't keep the snort from escaping. Even Harrison giggled at that.

"Ya know, just for that, I ain't gonna show you anymore," Tobias grumped, putting away his wand. "But I'll have ya know that Flitwick said I've improved immensely this week in our lessons."

"Of course he told you that, Tobias. He tells all his _first_ -years that," Eileen quipped, a playful smile tugging at her lips as she glanced sideways towards her husband.

Severus felt his own lips tug upwards as well. Ever since his mother had been released from St. Mungo's, he had found his parents acting playful with one another. As if all the fights he had witnessed growing up had been erased from their minds. He knew the memories were still there, but these past few months Tobias had proven time and time again that he wasn't the same man they had known all those years again. He, too, had changed.

Other men would have moved on, stating it was too hard for them to deal with all the unexplainable emotions that came with their situation. But not Tobias. At first, he kept his distance out of respect and not wanting to hurt his wife anymore. But once it was clear Eileen had regained most of her strength and had been informed of the real story of what had happened, Tobias let her make the first move if she wanted to see him or not. Three days he waited before she answered. Severus still wasn't certain all that had been discussed between his parents that day, as he had been with Harrison in another room, but his parents had somehow reached a mutual understanding of starting over. That had been the first day his mother had laid eyes on Harrison as well. She had fallen for the boy just as quickly as Severus himself had.

"Yeah, well, not all of us got to go to a fancy magic school when we were younger, El. Some of us had to have Orkers tell us it first."

"Aurors," she corrected with an eye roll, as she always did whenever Tobias said a word wrong.

"Yeah, that's what I said. Orkers."

She sighed instantly. "Never mind." She then glanced at Severus and smiled faintly at him. "Class went all right today?"

The young man shrugged, his teaching robes waving in the slight breeze. "As well as it can with a bunch of hormonal adolescents, I suppose." He had noticed strangely enough that his mother had developed a habit lately of asking how his classes were. As if the answer mattered for some reason.

Letting it drop again, Eileen nodded slowly, her hand soon coming up to ruffle her grandson's hair affectionately. She gave a quick laugh the moment the little boy's face scrunched up as a result. Even Pomfrey had said that Harrison was having a positive effect on Eileen's continued improvement.

"So, what shall we do today, hmm?" she asked, reaching for her grandson and plucking him out of her son's arms. "Walk by the lake again? Visit Hogsmeade? Or shall we have some tea in London?"

Severus's eyes narrowed. "Are you up for traveling, then, Mum?" He looked down the moment he caught his mother's instant disapproval. He just didn't want her to tax herself so soon. That was all.

"I'm not some glass doll, I'll have you know, young man," Eileen brusquely replied. "And I hardly think one visit is going to set me back. I'm not weak after all."

"Ain't no one's sayin' ya are, El," Tobias cut in gently. "We're just worrying about ya."

Severus winced inwardly, knowing from experience just how his mother would take that now.

"Well, don't. I'm fine." Eileen then gave a bit of an annoyed huff. "And if things become difficult, then we'll return. Simple as that. So, quit fussing over me."

"Yes, Mother," Severus replied instinctively.

"Good." She nodded curtly. "Now, then, let's get out of here and enjoy ourselves, hmm?"

* * *

If Severus had thought Eileen had spoiled Harrison rotten earlier with an ice cream cone full of sprinkles and other assorted toppings, he hadn't seen anything yet clearly. Six bags of toys later. Six! He wasn't even certain he had space for all of them. Yet, Grandmum Eileen had dismissed all of her son's arguments against the outrageous amount of toys and bought them anyway, going so much as to tell Severus that he'd just have to deal with it.

"Oh, stop moping, my silly boy," Eileen drawled, glancing out of the corner of her eye towards her son who looked positively miserable as he walked with the grinning little boy in his arms. "I'll buy you something at Slugs. Promise."

Severus glanced back at her with an unamused look. As if that was what he was upset about.

"Hey, El. Question for ya," his dad asked. "When they say I gotta polish my wand nightly . . ."

Almost instantly, Eileen quickly replied, "I'll show you later, Toby."

The young man stopped soon after and glanced at his parents. This. This right here was why he wished desperately he could tell people he was adopted. He glared back at his dad when he caught Tobias's cheeky grin as the man waved his newly-bought wand from Ollivanders. It wasn't funny the first time, and it certainly wasn't any funnier the second either.

"Look, Harrison," Eileen suddenly said, causing Severus to start. "There's your father's toy store. Shall we go in?"

"I think not. After all, bribing me never worked when I was younger, and it surely won't work now either, Mother," the young man bristled. He caught Harrison's look and gave him one in return. Life was not all about having it all. The sooner the little boy realized that, the better. It would save him from a lifetime of bitterness.

"Someone's Mister Grumpy today," Tobias remarked quietly before he turned towards Eileen. "Is there a spell to make someone happy? Cause I think you should cast it on our boy."

Severus glanced up at the clouds and silently counted backwards in response. Wonderful. His father was already convinced there was a spell for everything. He continued to walk down the crowded alley with Harrison, though, walking away from his parents.

With a wave of one's wand, money would grow on trees. While it sounded wonderful at first, it would quickly lose its value. Everything usually did when it came with little effort. Severus grumpily kicked a loose rock soon after. Nothing ever came easy for him.

"Severus?" a strangely familiar voice suddenly called out near him.

The young man frowned instantly. He knew that voice. Stopping, he turned to look for the voice's owner. He couldn't recall the person's name, but he knew he had heard that voice before.

"It is you," the voice happily declared from somewhere off to his right in the thick crowd.

Severus's eyes narrowed even more. Where had he heard that voice before? Was it someone from Cokeworth? His eyes darted about the busy alleyway, looking for the person who was talking to him. All he saw, though, were annoyed people who were pushing past others and going about their way. Well, that was until he finally saw a small hand peeking over the top of the crowd, waving at him.

He didn't recognize the hand nor the young curly-haired witch attached to it at first, but she hurried towards him anyway. As she got closer and he saw more of her, a strange sensation started to come over him. Recognition of her features took root in his brain, yet a name refused to be unburied. He knew he knew her. Just . . . where?

"I can't believe it," the witch declared with a wide grin, clearly excited about running into him. "What are the odds you'd be in London the same time I am?" Her warm brown eyes then passed over the curious young boy in Severus's arms, who seemed suspicious of her. "Oh." Her face fell just a bit at the realization of something. She then drew in a slow breath and looked back at Severus, a smile once again reaching her lips but one that was clearly more subdued than before. "Is this sweet little boy yours?" She then gave a quiet laugh when he nodded. "He's truly gorgeous, Severus. Congratulations."

And just like that, the strong sensation spread. The tentacles that had rooted in his brain earlier now easily traveled with every beat of his heart to the rest of his body.

" _. . . let me tell you about my wife . . ."_ The words from his future self's letter echoed in his mind as the young man continued to stare at her. " _She has always stood by my side, even when I did not know it. She is the light to our darkness. And she has always been with us."_

Before he even could think of anything to say, her name fell from his lips. "Aurora . . ."


End file.
